Book review:
Masiero, Gilmar (2025). Brazilian Socio-Economic Dynamics: Contexts and Contemporary Realities. Contributions to Economics. Switzerland: Springer Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-87685-1
By Elise Marie Andrillon – Research Assistant at FEA-USP
Gilmar Masiero’s Brazilian Socioeconomic Dynamics arrives at a critical juncture in the intellectual conversation about Brazil. In an era where international headlines often oscillate between portrayals of Brazil as an eternal “country of the future” or a nation mired in perpetual crisis, Masiero, a professor of business management at the Universidade de São Paulo (USP), offers a welcome and rigorously argued third path: a blueprint for activating Brazil’s latent “socioeconomic dynamics." He does that by offering a nuanced perspective that goes beyond economic metrics - he incorporates Brazilian social and political dynamics as forces that have shaped the nation.
The book stands out by rejecting siloed thinking. While the world’s technological innovations are of invaluable use to put Brazil in a competitive position worldwide - especially in the agrobusiness industry - it cannot flourish in a vacuum. Meaning, the country's biggest patrimonies should be cherished and preserved, such as its diverse cultures, appealing to the creative economy to guarantee the knowledge and proper use of its biggest competitive advantage – the abundance of natural resources
This is not a work of fleeting political analysis or a dry economic treatise.
Instead, Masiero constructs a sophisticated, multi-disciplinary framework to understand development in the 21st century. His core thesis is both compelling and optimistically bold: Brazil’s path to sustainable, resilient growth lies in the strategic and synergistic cultivation of innovation, creativity, and social inclusion. He posits that these are not separate goals but interconnected pillars that fuel each other in a virtuous cycle.
It seems that the work of the Editor deserves to be mentioned because the final book’s structure was admirable. The first of the six chapters of the manuscript is written to contextualize readers on the Brazilian past, socially and politically, by highlighting its regional aspects, educational history, and economic activities throughout time. With all this background information, he argues that because of the choices that were made in the past, such as a long colonialist period, a slave-based plantation economy, and the nature of its incipient industrialization, the country became shaped by the profound regional inequalities that were common back at the time. Because of this, problems related to income concentration, educational deficits, and climate pressure are so common in the northeast region, for example.
Next, the author presents an analysis of the contemporary economy's structure, highlighting its hybridity. By that, he means that there’s a part of the Brazilian economy that is highly technological, advanced, and globally integrated, while the other part is almost the opposite, given that the domestic sector, composed of informal markets and subsistence activities, has low productivity and engagement. Following that, there is an emphasis on the role of institutions, especially in how Brazil’s legal framework, most importantly the 1988 constitution, molds its current economy, given the contradiction of its expansive social mandates and the rigid fiscal constraints, and how the tax system is complex and poorly thought out.
The third chapter of Masiero’s book discusses sustainable development in Brazil. According to the data, it’s implied that the best way to reduce poverty in the country is through industrialization; however, this requires a considerable amount of pollution to be released, making it necessary to find a way to do it with minimal damage to the environment. The points made by Masiero in this chapter are of extreme importance - the results of growth are seldom positive, and the climate issues will always fall upon the most socioeconomically vulnerable groups, exacerbating the already existing inequalities. Some of the solutions the author proposes include creating “green jobs” that promote a fair transition, as well as investing in renewable energy and high-value products that will enable exports to move beyond raw commodities.
The second half of the book is centered on discussing “Entrepreneurship and SMEs in Brazil”, “Brazil in the Global Market”, and “Brazilian Contemporary Challenges”. Chapter four addresses the importance of SME's, the dynamics of entrepreneurship, and the implications for inclusive growth, regional inequality, and policy design. One of the conclusions that was made is that if SMEs and entrepreneurship are adequately supported, they can mitigate inequality, create jobs, and reduce the country's dependency on primary commodities. The main suggestion is to invest in managerial capacity, innovation, technology, adaptation, and reducing bureaucratic burden. Despite all the evidence, there was a lack of comparativeness with other countries in Latin America, or even maybe Asia, as well as a lack of empirical data to sustain some of its affirmations.
The following chapter brings a crucial pivot for the book, after all the things that have been pointed out and concluded, Gilmar assesses how Brazil interacts with - and is shaped by - global forces. That is a highly delicate subject, because Brazil has always been seen as the “farm” of the globe, exporting only primary materials, whose prices are highly volatile and do not make an amount of money even remotely close to what high-value products could. Despite the risks of a more technologically advanced export industry, a crucial dilemma emerges: the influx of international investment and multinational corporations could have a devastating impact. These large companies could negatively affect small, local producers, who are the backbone of the country's food supply. Furthermore, this shift could exacerbate climate and environmental issues.
Finally, the last chapter of the book synthesizes what has already been said and makes a call to action. Some of the key points it raises are political polarization and institutional strain, where the author debates the problems of deeply rooted opinions in the population's minds. Alongside, social crises such as the high price of basic food and other topics reveal systemic fragility in access to public goods. Next, there is concern for land reform, and what the lack of it can mean. The final part is a reflection on the role of social movements, civil society, and political mobilization in Brazil: what are their reactions? The suggestion is that part of the challenge goes way beyond the structure. The chapter suggests that the changes that have been mentioned are not only an obligation of the Brazilian elites, but a really urgent call.
Gilmar Masiero’s Brazilian Socio-Economic Dynamics succeeds in mapping the interplay between Brazil’s structural legacies and the pressures of contemporary global realities. By weaving together analyses of inequality, education, entrepreneurship, financial systems, internationalization of companies, and the multiple crises that define Brazil’s present moment, the book offers a panoramic yet critical account of a country at once full of promise and fraught with persistent constraints. Its most significant contribution lies in refusing simplistic narratives: Masiero neither celebrates Brazil’s dynamism uncritically nor reduces its problems to intractable failures. Instead, he presents a nuanced framework that highlights both vulnerabilities and levers of transformation.
For scholars, policymakers, and practitioners interested in Latin American development, this volume provides both a diagnostic and a springboard for further inquiry into how inequality, institutional fragility, and environmental pressures intersect with opportunities for innovation and global engagement. Ultimately, Brazilian Socio-Economic Dynamics is a timely and thought-provoking contribution that challenges readers to confront the complexity of Brazil’s present and the uncertainty of its future, while offering insights that resonate well beyond Brazil’s borders.
Gilmar Masiero’s Brazilian Socioeconomic Dynamics arrives at a critical juncture in the intellectual conversation about Brazil. In an era where international headlines often oscillate between portrayals of Brazil as an eternal “country of the future” or a nation mired in perpetual crisis, Masiero, a professor of business management at the Universidade de São Paulo (USP), offers a welcome and rigorously argued third path: a blueprint for activating Brazil’s latent “socioeconomic dynamics." He does that by offering a nuanced perspective that goes beyond economic metrics - he incorporates Brazilian social and political dynamics as forces that have shaped the nation.
The book stands out by rejecting siloed thinking. While the world’s technological innovations are of invaluable use to put Brazil in a competitive position worldwide - especially in the agrobusiness industry - it cannot flourish in a vacuum. Meaning, the country's biggest patrimonies should be cherished and preserved, such as its diverse cultures, appealing to the creative economy to guarantee the knowledge and proper use of its biggest competitive advantage – the abundance of natural resources
This is not a work of fleeting political analysis or a dry economic treatise.
Instead, Masiero constructs a sophisticated, multi-disciplinary framework to understand development in the 21st century. His core thesis is both compelling and optimistically bold: Brazil’s path to sustainable, resilient growth lies in the strategic and synergistic cultivation of innovation, creativity, and social inclusion. He posits that these are not separate goals but interconnected pillars that fuel each other in a virtuous cycle.
It seems that the work of the Editor deserves to be mentioned because the final book’s structure was admirable. The first of the six chapters of the manuscript is written to contextualize readers on the Brazilian past, socially and politically, by highlighting its regional aspects, educational history, and economic activities throughout time. With all this background information, he argues that because of the choices that were made in the past, such as a long colonialist period, a slave-based plantation economy, and the nature of its incipient industrialization, the country became shaped by the profound regional inequalities that were common back at the time. Because of this, problems related to income concentration, educational deficits, and climate pressure are so common in the northeast region, for example.
Next, the author presents an analysis of the contemporary economy's structure, highlighting its hybridity. By that, he means that there’s a part of the Brazilian economy that is highly technological, advanced, and globally integrated, while the other part is almost the opposite, given that the domestic sector, composed of informal markets and subsistence activities, has low productivity and engagement. Following that, there is an emphasis on the role of institutions, especially in how Brazil’s legal framework, most importantly the 1988 constitution, molds its current economy, given the contradiction of its expansive social mandates and the rigid fiscal constraints, and how the tax system is complex and poorly thought out.
The third chapter of Masiero’s book discusses sustainable development in Brazil. According to the data, it’s implied that the best way to reduce poverty in the country is through industrialization; however, this requires a considerable amount of pollution to be released, making it necessary to find a way to do it with minimal damage to the environment. The points made by Masiero in this chapter are of extreme importance - the results of growth are seldom positive, and the climate issues will always fall upon the most socioeconomically vulnerable groups, exacerbating the already existing inequalities. Some of the solutions the author proposes include creating “green jobs” that promote a fair transition, as well as investing in renewable energy and high-value products that will enable exports to move beyond raw commodities.
The second half of the book is centered on discussing “Entrepreneurship and SMEs in Brazil”, “Brazil in the Global Market”, and “Brazilian Contemporary Challenges”. Chapter four addresses the importance of SME's, the dynamics of entrepreneurship, and the implications for inclusive growth, regional inequality, and policy design. One of the conclusions that was made is that if SMEs and entrepreneurship are adequately supported, they can mitigate inequality, create jobs, and reduce the country's dependency on primary commodities. The main suggestion is to invest in managerial capacity, innovation, technology, adaptation, and reducing bureaucratic burden. Despite all the evidence, there was a lack of comparativeness with other countries in Latin America, or even maybe Asia, as well as a lack of empirical data to sustain some of its affirmations.
The following chapter brings a crucial pivot for the book, after all the things that have been pointed out and concluded, Gilmar assesses how Brazil interacts with - and is shaped by - global forces. That is a highly delicate subject, because Brazil has always been seen as the “farm” of the globe, exporting only primary materials, whose prices are highly volatile and do not make an amount of money even remotely close to what high-value products could. Despite the risks of a more technologically advanced export industry, a crucial dilemma emerges: the influx of international investment and multinational corporations could have a devastating impact. These large companies could negatively affect small, local producers, who are the backbone of the country's food supply. Furthermore, this shift could exacerbate climate and environmental issues.
Finally, the last chapter of the book synthesizes what has already been said and makes a call to action. Some of the key points it raises are political polarization and institutional strain, where the author debates the problems of deeply rooted opinions in the population's minds. Alongside, social crises such as the high price of basic food and other topics reveal systemic fragility in access to public goods. Next, there is concern for land reform, and what the lack of it can mean. The final part is a reflection on the role of social movements, civil society, and political mobilization in Brazil: what are their reactions? The suggestion is that part of the challenge goes way beyond the structure. The chapter suggests that the changes that have been mentioned are not only an obligation of the Brazilian elites, but a really urgent call.
Gilmar Masiero’s Brazilian Socio-Economic Dynamics succeeds in mapping the interplay between Brazil’s structural legacies and the pressures of contemporary global realities. By weaving together analyses of inequality, education, entrepreneurship, financial systems, internationalization of companies, and the multiple crises that define Brazil’s present moment, the book offers a panoramic yet critical account of a country at once full of promise and fraught with persistent constraints. Its most significant contribution lies in refusing simplistic narratives: Masiero neither celebrates Brazil’s dynamism uncritically nor reduces its problems to intractable failures. Instead, he presents a nuanced framework that highlights both vulnerabilities and levers of transformation.
For scholars, policymakers, and practitioners interested in Latin American development, this volume provides both a diagnostic and a springboard for further inquiry into how inequality, institutional fragility, and environmental pressures intersect with opportunities for innovation and global engagement. Ultimately, Brazilian Socio-Economic Dynamics is a timely and thought-provoking contribution that challenges readers to confront the complexity of Brazil’s present and the uncertainty of its future, while offering insights that resonate well beyond Brazil’s borders.
