Disdain, Generosity, and Solidarity as Institutional Responses to COVID-19 in Brazil

Abstract

The deep and challenging social and economic inequalities that plagued Brazil throughout its history became even more evident with the advent of COVID-19. The Brazilian federal government’s incapacity to help those in need triggered actors from various sectors of society to respond with necessary urgency and efficacy. The assistance these marketing system catalytic institutions have offered to Brazilian society seems to be based on distinct grounding principles, herein called generosity and solidarity. While generosity entails offering help, looking toward future benefits, solidarity is based on an orientation surrounding collectivity, through which individuals help one another, since no community can achieve well-being if all who are part of it do not share in its benefits. In this chapter, we analyze how the Brazilian federal government, Itaú Unibanco, and the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST, Landless Rural Workers’ Movement) have reacted during the COVID-19 crisis and how this response has affected Brazilians’ quality of life (QOL).