Civil society organizations and their efforts to counter the perpetuation of social inequality in Brazil

My dissertation examines social capital creation in poor communities as a reaction to the lack of access to education and the perpetuation of social inequality among Brazilians. This study examines the social capital creation during 2008-2009 in Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, Brazil. The main research question includes: Are poorly educated citizens in developing nations able to establish strong civic associations despite their low educational levels? This study examines how the residents of lower-income communities interact with the government on all levels with regard to the distribution of resources. I argue that the lack of attention and investment in education by the Brazilian government fosters and reproduces social injustice among Brazilian citizens and that, while not achieving greater social change, their creation of social capital has improved the lives of the beneficiaries of these civil society organizations. Many of these grassroots organizations offer education and have subsequently created more social capital. In addition to working against social injustice and inequality, these organizations help to create social capital affording inclusion which greater society prevents. (Full text of this dissertation may be available via the University of Florida Libraries web site. Please check http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/etd.html).