IDP 4U1 Honours Thesis Name: ______

STEP 5: Thesis Formation

Achievement: Thinking / Inquiry TOTAL: marks

1. Topic:

What internal factors currently hinder bourgeoning Brazil from becoming a first world nation? How have
these factors contributed to Brazil’s slow ascent to becoming a G8 nation?

2. Controversial Questions:

1. Is Brazil doing all that it truly can to tackle the issues of inequality and wide-spread poverty?
2. If Brazil emerges as a first world nation, will the rest of the First World take it seriously?


3. FORMULATING THE THESIS

Thesis Statement:
Brazil, a bourgeoning nation and economy, can only reach it’s full potential as a First World nation once it tackles it’s domestic affairs that hinder it’s progress; one of the highest inequality rates in the world, wide-spread poverty, an education standard deemed insufficient by other Latin American nations and a health and social system that is inaccessible to the most needy. / Argument 1
Brazil can not fully become a First World, G8 nation, regardless of their giant economy, until they deal with the institutionalized inequality and discrimination that indirectly stunts the nation’s economic growth. / Evidence(s) to support Arg#1
·  Brazil has the world’s fourth highest level of inequality
·  10% of the richest Brazilians are 85% richer than the poorest 10%
·  The majority of Brazil’s poor are Blacks, mulattos and Native Indians
·  The majority of Brazil’s rich are the whiter people, the direct Portuguese descendants and the other European settlers who have come to call Brazil home
·  Almost 1/3 of the nation’s population live at or under the poverty line
Argument 2
A nation needs to be well-educated before it can fare off properly with the rest of the First World, Brazil faces that challenge.
It has one of the lowest education standards in Latin America which hints that education is not largely promoted in Brazil as it could be. / Evidence(s) to support Arg #2
·  Brazil has an illiterate population of 15% but can go up as high as 24% when incorporating those who did not finish the first few years of grade school
·  It’s education standards are almost on par with Bolivia and Guatemala, two of the poorest nations in Latin America
·  In Canada, the average child spends about 12 years in school
·  In Brazil, the average Brazil spends 4.9 years in school and drops out by the equivalent fifth grade
Arguments 3
A nation is making economic improvement when it’s social system is virtually accessible to all of it’s citizens.
In Brazil’s case, the social and health systems are beginning to be properly constructed but have a long way to go. A nation is only at it’s best when it’s citizens on a whole are healthy. / Evidence(s) to support Arg #3
·  Life expectancy at birth increased from 43 years in the 1930’s to almost 68 years in the 1990’s.
·  Infant mortality is at 30 per 100,000 which is below Latin American and industrialized nations’ standards
·  There are many faults with their public health system as those who can afford it turn to private health care

4. FOOTNOTES FOR EVIDENCE 1, 2, 3 etc…:

Evidence / Footnote (proper format)
1 /
Pardini Bicudo Verdas, Maura. "Brazilian Inequalities; Poverty, Social Inclusion and Exclusion in Sao Paulo." Brown Univeristy. August 2003. Brown University. 20 Sep 2006 <http://www.brown.edu/Departments/sociology/ Faculty/silver/sirs/papers/verdas-english.pdf#search=%22Brazilian%Inequalities>.
2 / World Bank. Brazil: Equitable, Competitive, Sustainable; Contributions for Debate ( 2004 ), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/ World Bank. Washington DC .2004
3 /
World Bank. Brazil: Equitable, Competitive, Sustainable; Contributions for Debate ( 2004 ), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/ World Bank. Washington DC .2004

5. Write down 3 counter-arguments that you will be refuting in your essay:

1. I will be refuting that Brazil is still a developing nation and that is not close to being a Third World nation.
2. I will be refuting that Brazil is a racial utopia where everyone has a the chance to aspire and become whatever they want, regardless of race.
3. I will be refuting that Brazil’s health care system is a mess, but that it simply needs to be restructured to accommodate the entire population.

6. Please attach a TYPED updated list of sources (full bibliographic MLA format)

Baer, Werner. The Brazilian Economy; Growth and Development (5th ed). Westport, CT. Praegar Publishers. 2001.

Henry, James P. "The Debt Crises from the Debtors' Point of View: Brazil Says: Nuts." The New Republic. vol.14(1987)

Kanitz, Stephen. Brazil: The Emerging Economic Boom. Makkron Books do Brasil Editora Ltda. Sao Paulo.1995.

Pardini Bicudo Verdas, Maura. "Brazilian Inequalities; Poverty, Social Inclusion and Exclusion in Sao Paulo." Brown Univeristy. August 2003. Brown University. 20 Sep 2006 <http://www.brown.edu/Departments/sociology/ Faculty/silver/sirs/papers/verdas-english.pdf#search=%22Brazilian%Inequalities>.

Plummer, Robert. "Brazil Resents Images of Economic Failure." BBC News. 26 September 2006. BBC. 26 Sep 2006 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4460068.stm>.

Plummer, Robert. "Brazilian Poor Feels Benefits of Lula's Policies." BBC. 18 September 2006. BBC. 20 Sep 2006 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5301240.stm>.

Plummer, Robert. "What Black Brazilians Think." BBC News. 16 August 2006. BBC. 20 Sep 2006 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5357842.stm>.

Richard, Christopher. Cultures of the World: Brazil, Marshall Cavendish. New York 1991.

World Bank. Brazil: Equitable, Competitive, Sustainable; Contributions for Debate ( 2004 ), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/ World Bank. Washington DC .2004