Brazil Social Hierarchy

Brazil social hierarchy had an extremely stratified society right from the slavery and colonial system, which continued for around three generations. When the country achieved Independence in 1822, the society underwent many structural changes. However, the heritage of clear social and economic stratification is highly reflected in highly slanted distribution of income in Brazil. The world’s nastiest Socio economic difference involves delicate forms of educational, residential and workplace partiality, in such a way that the members of different socioeconomic stratum tend to work, live and travel in different ways.

Brazil’s social condition also has some negative effects on the educational prospects for the underprivileged. In Brazil social hierarchy, the wealthy life is enjoyed by the rich communities while the underprivileged classes do not interrelate at all with those wealthy people except in some domestic services and on the floor of a shop. The division of both the classes and races even extended to what is called “spatial apartheid”, where the upper-class inhabitants and the guests are supposed to be white.

They enter the apartment’s buildings and the hotels through the chief entrance, while the domestics and the service givers, supposed to be black. They enter through the rear or side entrance. In Brazil social hierarchy, the different social classes are briefly elucidated in chronological order which means starting with the highest class of the society and ending with the lowest one:

Brazil Social Hierarchy

  • Upper Class – In Brazil social hierarchy, the upper class belongs to the wealthy communities. In this class people are supposed to be white. In this community people are mainly investors, major landlords, business owners, doctors, highly qualified engineers, graduated professors, lawyers, politicians, directors, managers, etc. These people have amazing skills for the industries they work in. The children of this community get very high quality education from reputed schools and colleges. This community lives a very comfortable life. The people of the upper class use the main entrance gate to enter any house or office.
  • Middle Class – In Brazil social hierarchy, the middle class belongs to the simple people who are not very rich. In this community, people are mainly doing jobs such as mechanics, nurses, teachers, electricians, managers etc. Their income level is moderate. The children of this community also get education in schools and colleges but not as high as the upper class children have. Their life is reasonably comfortable.
  • Lower Class – The lower class community are very poor people. In this class the people are supposed to be black. In this community people are mainly housemaids, cleaners, street sweepers, bricklayers and also a large number of unemployed people. The children of this community hardly get any type of education. Some of them even do not get proper food also. The people of the lower class use the side or rear entrance to enter any house or office. The life of the people of this community is not at all easy.

Know about Racial hierarchy in Brazil