Tip: Before you start reading this article, I would like to ask you to also subscribe to the BPO Innova Brasil newsletter, Tecnologia e Negócios: a weekly roundup of business and technology news.
Political polarization is one of the main problems Brazil has faced in recent years. The country is divided between those who support the current president and those who criticize him. Its main causes are corruption, the economy and the issue of public safety and health. The consequences of political polarization in Brazil are increasing violence, decreasing economic productivity and alienating people from each other.
One of the causes of polarization is the lack of dialogue between people. With social media, people tend to isolate themselves in their own groups and only listen to like-minded people.
In this article, we will address the main causes of political polarization in Brazil and its impact on the social positioning of the Brazilian population.
The origins of political polarization in Brazil
Since the beginning of Brazil’s history, the population has always been divided between those who defended the status quo and those who sought change. Brazilian society is made up of different social and regional groups, each with its own interests and values. The diversity of opinions on political and social issues is one of the main causes of political polarization in Brazil.
Regional differences are also a major source of conflict. The Northeast, for example, is traditionally one of the poorest places in the country, while the South and Southeast are the wealthiest regions. This creates a situation of inequality that fosters political polarization.
Another important cause of political polarization in Brazil is the lack of dialogue between social groups. People tend to group around the same candidate or party and this ends up generating a climate of intolerance towards those who think differently.
Political polarization has several negative consequences for Brazilian society:
1. In the first place, it prevents discussions and solutions of the country’s problems to be discussed and found in a rational and civilized way.
2. Second, polarization generates tensions and conflicts that could threaten Brazil’s social stability.
3. Last but not least, political polarization contributes to the growth of corruption, as many candidates use their position to benefit only those on their side in the power struggle.
Increase in violence in social networks
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Brazil has faced an escalation of violence on social media. Many Brazilians are taking opposite sides of political polarization and using social media to attack those with different opinions.
This has led to an increase in violence on social networks, with threats, insults and even physical attacks. This is a reflection of the political polarization in Brazil. With Brazilians increasingly divided between those who support the president and those who criticize him, social media has become a battleground where both sides struggle to impose their will.
This polarization has caused violence to escalate, with more and more Brazilians being verbally or physically abused because of their political views. This violence can only be stopped if there is a dialogue between the two sides and an effort to overcome the differences.
Radicalization of political positions
Since the end of the military dictatorship in 1985, Brazil has experienced a process of democratization of its political system. After years of a society divided between those who defended the military regime and those who fought for the re-democratization of the country, the political opening allowed new parties to emerge and the population to position itself more clearly in relation to political issues.
However, since the 1990s, there has been an increasing polarization of political positions in Brazil. This process intensified with the rise of right-wing movements, represented by the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB) and left-wing movements, represented by the Workers’ Party (PT). The two sides have increasingly positioned themselves on opposite sides regarding social and economic issues, which has generated a greater division in Brazilian society.
The radicalization of political positions has been fueled by the growth of individualism in Brazilian society. With the advancement of technology and globalization, people are increasingly isolated in their own worlds, which makes dialogue between individuals difficult. In addition, the large amount of information available on the Internet allows people to be informed only about what confirms their existing opinions, reinforcing their polarized view of the world.
This radicalization of political positions has caused some problems for Brazilian society. The main one is the increase in violence in public demonstrations.
Families and friends are being torn apart by political differences
Growing political polarization in Brazil has caused families and friends who disagree politically to move away. This is because people are feeling more and more intensely drawn to one side of the dispute, making it harder to reconcile differences.
This alienation has been fueled by the rise of violence and hatred on social media, with extremes from each side verbally attacking each other. Political divergences are interfering with the work environment, interpersonal relationships, and even friendships.
While it is natural for people to have different opinions on political issues, the climate of polarization is creating a hostile and divided environment in society.
The influence of the media on the spread of political conflicts
The media plays a key role in spreading political conflicts. Every day, we are bombarded with news of the latest scandals involving politicians, which end up generating a sense of polarization. This situation is aggravated by the fact that the media is often positioned in a way that is clearly favorable to one of the sides of the conflict, which ends up exacerbating the differences between people.
The economic consequences of social polarization
Social polarization has a number of economic consequences, some of them direct and some indirect.
Among the direct consequences are:
· Rising cost of living.
· Reduction of the quality of life.
The cost of living increases because people have to spend more on personal safety and on products that meet their specific needs. The decline in the quality of life comes from the uncertainty that people begin to feel about the future.
In addition, social polarization also has indirect consequences on the economy.
One is the negative impact it has on foreign investment. As the political climate becomes increasingly unstable, investors become uncertain and tend to withdraw their investments from the country.
Another indirect consequence is the negative impact on education. When there is a large social divide, people tend to invest less in education, as they believe that they will not have the same benefits as other social groups.
Conclusion
While political polarization in Brazil is a serious problem, there are solutions to it. And one of the most important is dialogue. I believe that it is possible to build a better country if all segments of society are involved and dialogue constructively.
Follow my LinkedIn profile and my newsletter to stay up to date with my entrepreneurship publications.
Fabio Baptista
CEO | Fiscal and Administrative Advisor Speaker | Social-Sales | Mentoring for startups
