Brazil has become a hub of diversification and the utter most urbanized center of Latin America. The population staggered from 250,000 to 1 million in steady, consistent growth, making its capital the 6th largest metropolis of the world. However, the country hasn’t always been at such state of rapid expansion. Over the years, its countless expositions to land cultivation, agricultural production and trade have shaped the colonial towns that its citizens hustle about today. Despite Brazil’s thrust into the integrated world, the country was pressured under a persistent switch of regimes politically, economically and socially. It suffered an unstable democracy and inadequate provision to the increasing population. This essay provides an insight into how urbanization has moved many Brazilians to peripheral parts of society and declassed them under the elite.
Only in 1888 - about 132 years ago - was African slavery demolished, impacting urbanization by being the base of diversity and different cultures amongst Brazil. 70% of its urban system had flourished in growth since World War II. Today, the country’s statistics show 47.9% natural increase in population and 49.3% derived from migrators; hence, migration has evidently played a major role. Immigrants from Europe, the Middle East and Africa sought a life in the increasingly urbanized sectors of Brazil, leading it to be a multicultural society and claiming itself secular. This occurred with the development of its immigration policies, such as accommodating refugees of bordering Latin American countries and encountering Japanese victims of the US military occupation. Namely towards the Afro-Brazilian tribes, along with social awareness came pressure of racism. In the late 70s, touristic urbanization became an advantageous concept as many became attracted to the sun and beaches along Brazil’s coast, stimulating economic growth. Not only did the welcoming of different ethnicities shift the geographical aspects of Brazil, but brought upon the concept of social urbanization. This meant that urbanization was not limited by physical elements and the growth of cities, but also featured an ideological shift in sociocultural aspects. It exposed urban culture amongst citizens and imposed it to the countryside, further leading to the commonality of rural-urban migration. Workers and those with authority in the capital city began to emphasize employee utilization, taking advantage of skilled workers to reach full potential in profit. Moreover, migration was influenced based on wage and income. This became the root cause of an economic crisis which stranded labor workers and caused them to fall in destitute whilst the richer progressed, shaping into a land of emigration as well. Today, approximately 18 million of the Brazilian population reside in slums.
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As a country known for its mastering agricultural enterprises, coffee exporting was one of the major role-players of urbanization in Brazil. Merchants, farmers and peasants in the cultivation of this beloved bean were simultaneously thrown into the contemporary reconstruction of the country. Coffee became its number one export, and brought it much wealth in its trade with other countries. However, this began to prove ineffective with the emergence of protectionist taxes in order to secure domestic products. The tax initiation significantly declined Brazil’s trade rating and made imports more difficult. Ultimately, the processes of trade became increasingly time consuming and proved inconvenience for Brazil, as it currently lacks advances in technology that would empower productivity in trade and consistently provide its citizens with commodities. Additionally, poor farming has contributed to the trading deficiency. A lack of strategic irrigation techniques was utilized, causing desertification. In turn, farmers residing in rural areas were only able to export part of their harvests and bound to live in strife. Moreover, this ties with the dominance of industrial capitalism in Brazil. As private industries were in operation aiming for profit, the benefits of small-scale farming were much less superior to that of entrepreneurial agriculture. This put peasants and labor workers in critical positions and in desperate search for suitable wage jobs, as they were urged solely to produce and participate in minimal cultivation. Consequently, the domestic population failed to become a solid part of the integrated world Brazil was merging into.
With the approach of the 21st century, urbanization continued to accelerate in Brazil with a 4.1% annual growth rate. The country saw high fertility rates which echoed high rise in population and the most rapid displacement of rural to urban in Brazilian society. As new industries, technologies and municipalities were suddenly incorporated to the systems of the country, its constitution has been unable to keep up with the expeditious shifts of the metropolis. Labor shortages are now an underlying issue amongst Brazil, as much of its citizens were employed in agricultural practices and have experienced a massive decline in its plantation and extractive industries. Despite the country having followed the prevalent patterns of mechanization and industrial innovation across the globe, the major setback in its prosperity is having low percentage of workers with a high percentage of manufacturing. A distorted interpretation influenced the expectations of society with the presence of the Harris-Todaro model, envisioning greater life in the city only to reach the inevitability of overpopulation and being forced to live on the outskirts of urban cities. Furthermore, many communities are neglected and left impoverished due to unsustainable growth and urban sprawl. Brazil lacks sufficient systems, technology and infrastructure to accommodate to the expansion of communities within its urbanized cities on top of providing settlement for migrants. Favela - which are classified as Brazilian slums and shantytowns - have become areas of increased crime rates and poor sanitation.
Conclusively, Brazil has experienced outpouring urbanization forming the multicultural land it is today and being one of man contributors of its dynamic nature. The fluent expansion of migratory concepts has shifted domestic living to a metropolis city, but posed an inconvenience as it is unable to sustain its vast agricultural enterprise. Already, a rural rebound is occurring as Brazilian squatters resort to farms as the best chance of survival. Urbanization of the country has become a paradox, for immigrants populate urban areas but many Brazilian citizens themselves search for stability in the countryside. However, action is attempted. It aims to reduce relegated groups’ vulnerability to economic relapse. To achieve such balance, Brazil ought to look at enhancing its irrigation, improving infrastructure and ultimately getting rid of its protectionist taxes in order to play an active role in international trade. As major worldwide events are hosted in Brazil such as the Olympics and World Cup, it’s favorable for the government to be looking into advancing its technology. Further, if it is unable to maintain its resilience and find solutions to the uncontrolled urbanization of its cities, the country may well lag behind.
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