Care regime in Brazil: an analysis in the light of three typologies

Abstract

This article discusses and categorizes the Brazilian care regime. It presents the care-regimes typologies proposed by Esping-Andersen (1999), Leitner (2003), and Saraceno and Keck (2010) for developed countries. Based on the compilation of family policies within the country, our goal is to place Brazil within this typological framework. The methodology used is descriptive data analysis. We use data from IBGE population projections, for children and elderly counts, the PNAD and the National School Census, and the Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS) Census. In all three typologies, Brazil stands as a care regime which leans mainly on families, with a non-robust and non-widespread care policy, thus featuring an “implicit familism” or “familism by default”.

Key words
Care regimes; Welfare State; Familism; Family policies; Brazil