Economic Inequalities in Life Opportunities for Afro-Descendants in Latin America

Abstract

Ethno-racial status is a structural factor of inequalities in life opportunities in contemporary societies. In Latin America in particular, social exclusion of Afro-descendants and poor people has occurred due to their lower socioeconomic status in society. However, these inequities do not allow us to determine whether ethno-racial status plays a preponderant role in life opportunities in the region; that is, whether inequalities are the result of racial discrimination or of discrimination by social class. This chapter provides an analytical description of the main empirical works produced in the field of stratification and social mobility, in order to reach a better understanding of race relations in Latin America. Most of this research has focused on examining the mechanisms that produce results in terms of education, occupation, and income, and their correlation with racism and contemporary discrimination against Afro-descendants. In operational terms, we chose to establish a chronology of studies on socioeconomics, inequality and development, and inequality of opportunities in Brazil and Colombia. Analyzing the literature allows us to conclude that the Afro-descendant population is in the lower percentiles of income distribution, resulting in significant disadvantages for the accumulation of quality human capital, leading to a precarious insertion in the job market and therefore low income levels. Likewise, although there is evidence of social mobility relative to their parents, the inequalities in indicators of wellbeing relative to non-Afro-descendants remain almost unchanged. In sum, we observe a process whereby class discrimination affects the formation of long and quality educational careers, and racial discrimination becomes a disadvantage in the labor market, resulting in a vicious circle of cumulative disadvantages.