Problem
A. What has been the most significant change in the social structure of Latin America since the end of World War II? What are the major characteristics of that change?
B. What are the major differences in the class structures of urban and rural societies in Latin America?
C. Since the 1990s, what social class does the middle class tend to support (besides itself), and what happens to this support if economic conditions become poor?
D. Where are most of the working class jobs being created now? What has been the political impact of this trend?
E. Are social classes in Latin America largely static?
F. What is the traditional model of gender relations in Latin America?
G. Does Munck think the machismo model is useful for understanding contemporary social relations in Latin America?
H. How did the traditional responsibility of women having to protect their families lead to an increased political role for women during the period of authoritarian rule in Latin America?
I. According to Munck, why is it not useful to view black and indigenous identities as the same since both groups tend to be at the bottom of the social structure of Latin America?
J. What is said about race relations in Brazil?
K. What is clientelism?
L. How does clientelism make practicing democracy difficult? Review Table 5.1 and note the size of some of Latin America's major cities.
M. How was urban growth in Latin America different from urban growth during industrialization in Europe?
N. Is "simple desperation" the only reason people in Latin America migrate from rural areas to urban areas?
O. Be familiar with all of the challenges that emerge when large-scale urbanization-and accompanying internal migration-takes place in a country.
P. How does Munck contrast the impressive accomplishment of Latin American cities becoming global cities with the conditions they generate due to their rapid growth and great size? Also, what does Munck mean about some of the residents of these cities being "cut off"?
Q. What does Figure 5.3 say about poverty in Latin America? What does Munck say about the origins of the extremely poor?
R. What are some examples Munck gives of the level of income inequality in Latin America?
S. What is the "demographic context" that needs to be taken into account when considering the challenge of job creation in Latin America?
T. For the poor, what appears to be "The only source of job-creation"?
U. In Latin America, what has happened to the ability of the state to provide social welfare?
V. What are the key characteristics of the Chilean model of pensions?
W. What is the alternative to the market model of providing social welfare?