BETWEEN STABILITY AND VULNERABILITY: MIDDLE-CLASS IDENTITIES IN CONTEMPORARY BRAZIL

This Policy Brief discusses the central role of the Brazilian middle class in social stratification and the conceptual limitations surrounding its definition. It analyzes the impact of structural changes in the labor market and credit policies that stimulated consumption but failed to ensure long-term stability. The text critiques simplified interpretations based solely on income, arguing that the economic mobility experienced by segments of the Brazilian population did not lead to class consolidation, but rather to a vulnerable and unstable condition.