A HISTORICAL OUTLINE OF BRAZIL

Brazil was “discovered” by Europeans in 1500, and after a long period of Portuguese colonization, was declared independent in 1822, becoming the Empire of Brazil. The country was successfully ruled by two emperors until the declaration of the Republic, in 1889. The proclamation of the Republic, in 1889, signals the end of slavery in Brazil and the beginning of the urbanization, and consequently industrialization processes. The Republican military project also included the organization of the modern family, called new family in agreement with a bourgeois organization pattern. In this organization, the “modern woman” should be educated to perform her duties as a mother and also educated to provide financial support to the household. The Republican project was basically focused on the modernization of the white family of European origin, that is, the traditional family. This picture became worse when the military left the process, and the oligarchies assumed control of the country.

Since its independence from the Portuguese crown in 1822, Brazil has been in a continuous process of industrialization. In fact, this started in 1806 with the relocation of the Portuguese Court to Brazil after having escaped from Napoleon's invasion in Europe. Brazil has had five Constitutions, the first in 1934, and others in 1946, 1967, 1969, and 1988. The latter Constitution was developed by the dictatorship government, which ruled the country for 20 years after the military coup in 1964.