Title not available in English

Abstract

In this paper I seek to describe the macro-social conditions facing Brazilian families in the 1990’s, in order to explain the difficulties they encounter in providing social protection for their members. First I show the relationship between economic restructuring and Brazil’s welfare state, and the consequences for families. Secondly, I note how traditional assumptions about gender relations in the family continue to guide social programs and public policies, although broad changes in family arrangements suggest the need to rethink the design of social policies involving families.