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by Sue Kropp
• B.A., University
of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
• M.A.,
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
• Ph.D.,
University of Chapel Hill
OCTOBER
16, 2002--Tourists to Brazil might be attracted by the sunny beaches,
blue water, and exotic resorts, but for Visiting Assistant Professor of
Politics Ronald Ahnen, Brazil means something else.
"Brazil has one of the most unequal societies on earth," says Ahnen. "Scholars often refer to it as Bel-India, meaning that 30 percent of people in this culture live like the people in Belgian cities, and 70 percent of the people live like the poorer classes of India."
In the past few decades, many families from rural areas have migrated to Brazil's cities in search of better lives, due in part to the lack of land and employment opportunities in the countryside. This has resulted in food shortages and has exacerbated an already serious lack of housing and jobs in the cities. As a consequence, family life has rapidly decayed and children have taken to the streets to find income and escape abuse. Unfortunately, what they often find is death.
"In a society as unequal as Brazil, a growing number of citizens, especially these kids who live on the streets, are killed by police officers," Ahnen says. "I'm interested in why this happens."
A Q & A with Ronald Ahnen:
Please send comments, questions, and suggestions about Oberlin Online news and feature articles to online.news@oberlin.edu.
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