This research delves into the decision-making processes within Brazilian energy governance, with a particular focus on its engagement with international climate change mitigation agreements. The... Show moreThis research delves into the decision-making processes within Brazilian energy governance, with a particular focus on its engagement with international climate change mitigation agreements. The recurrent utilization of power relations strategies in the nation's energy governance hinders the development of policies that facilitate an transition towards sustainable energy sources. The presence of monopolistic and oligopolistic practices, fuelled by crony capitalism and rent-seeking, not only shapes policy decisions but also enforces the adoption of established technologies. Furthermore, the exploration of behavioural dynamics in policymaking, as investigated through behavioural economics, sheds light on the fact that policymakers are influenced not solely by political, economic, and institutional challenges, but also by deeply ingrained personal behaviours. These behaviours wield significant influence over the decision-making processes and contribute to the prevailing inertia in the Brazilian energy sector. Brazil stands as the fifth-largest country in the world, the sixth most populous, the thirteenth highest emitter of greenhouse gases, and boasts 60 percent of the Amazon, the planet's largest forest, within its borders. These attributes position Brazil at the forefront of global climate governance efforts. An in-depth understanding and vigilant monitoring of the Brazilian context play a vital role in advancing worldwide initiatives to combat climate change. Show less
This article examines court cases brought by clients against private health insurance companies and against Brazil’s public health system. When clients take private health insurers to court, they... Show moreThis article examines court cases brought by clients against private health insurance companies and against Brazil’s public health system. When clients take private health insurers to court, they successfully claim that the insurer violated their dignity, which entitles them to a moral damage payment. Similar cases against the state did not include moral damage claims. In relation to public healthcare, it is somehow not possible to equate dignity with economic value. One might conclude that the dignity of consumers in the market is worth more than that of citizens vis-à-vis the state. Instead, I argue for a more subtle approach by concentrating on the ethics of incommensurability. What legal and ethical considerations lead to such a fundamental incommensurability between personhood and economic value? How do the actors involved in court proceedings (claimants, prosecutors, judges, and insurers) perceive the differences between cases against insurance companies and against public health authorities? What can we make of the differences between the legal and everyday understandings of dignity and morality? Show less
This article examines the issue of private investment in the seventeenth-century Dutch colony in Brazil. For the first time, new archival discoveries allow for a reconstruction of the size of... Show moreThis article examines the issue of private investment in the seventeenth-century Dutch colony in Brazil. For the first time, new archival discoveries allow for a reconstruction of the size of private investment in the colony, as well as a breakdown into distinct investment activities. The article argues that private investment was an absolute necessity for the West India Company in the hope of making its colony successful, as it could not provide the required funds by itself. Private individuals claimed to have invested over eleven million guilders in the colony, nearly one-and-a-half times the WIC’s original capitalization. A number of case studies elaborate the overall figures presented and show that Dutch investors did indeed move into sugar cultivation and even moved into agricultural property development. Presenting these data and sources will, it is posited, allow for a fuller picture of the role of former inhabitants of Dutch Brazil in the development of plantation systems in the wider Caribbean from the mid-1640s onwards. Show less
In recent decades there has been an exponential increase in large hydroelectric plants in Brazil, especially in the Amazon region. These large hydraulic structures impact the environment and the... Show moreIn recent decades there has been an exponential increase in large hydroelectric plants in Brazil, especially in the Amazon region. These large hydraulic structures impact the environment and the lives of people living in the places where they settle and require a special type of water governance.The dictatorial regime (1964-1985) created a “standard” for the construction of these great structures, through an institutional and legal framework, which benefited the Brazilian business elite but also, through the creation of a popular imagination, which shows itself lasting progress on the country's progress and development. The suspension of security, the fragility of institutional environmental structures, the disrespect for indigenous reserves, the lack of clarity about the concept of “affected population” and the non-payment of fair compensation were identified as one of the main challenges for a democratic water governance in the country.In the late 1970s, the Dam-Affected Movement (MAB) began its organization and is also studied in this research.The study is an important and insightful academic contribution to the understanding of the main bottlenecks of effective water governance in Brazil. Show less
Introduction Brazil has the fourth largest world population of patients with haemophilia. However, mortality rates in this population are unknown. Aim To analyse mortality and its causes in... Show moreIntroduction Brazil has the fourth largest world population of patients with haemophilia. However, mortality rates in this population are unknown. Aim To analyse mortality and its causes in Brazilian patients with haemophilia from 2000 to 2014. Methods The number of deceased patients with haemophilia and causes of death were obtained from the Brazilian National Mortality Information System (SIM), according to the 10th International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were calculated to estimate the rate of overall death of patients with haemophilia relative to that of the Brazilian general male population. Results A total of 784 deaths were identified in the period of 15 years. Mortality of patients with haemophilia was 13% higher when compared with the general male population (SMR 1.13, 95% CI: 1.01-1.16). Haemorrhage was the main cause of death (n = 254; 32.4%) of which 137 (54%) was intracranial haemorrhage. The total number of deaths due to HIV decreased over the years, and an increase in deaths due to cancer and cardiovascular disease was observed. A total of 129 deaths (16.5%) were related to hepatitis infection, of whom, 109 (86.5%) patients also presented with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma or other liver diseases. Conclusion Mortality rate of Brazilian patients with haemophilia decreased over the evaluated period. Intracranial haemorrhage is still an important cause of death in these patients, which requires major effort for prevention. Death due to age-related cardiovascular disease and cancer has increased over the years, following the same tendency observed in developed countries. Show less
This doctoral thesis discusses the limits and possibilities for developing a new legislative-regulatory policy in Brazil, understood as a public policy whose purpose is to improve the process... Show moreThis doctoral thesis discusses the limits and possibilities for developing a new legislative-regulatory policy in Brazil, understood as a public policy whose purpose is to improve the process of drafting legislation and regulation and to increase the quality of rules. It considers the difficulties of the legislative- regulatory policy in force in Brazil, mostly at the federal level, and suggests alternatives for its enhancement. Show less
How could an individual attain high rank in the Seventeenth-Century Dutch colonial empire and once appointed, how could one retain high office? This dissertation seeks to answer these... Show moreHow could an individual attain high rank in the Seventeenth-Century Dutch colonial empire and once appointed, how could one retain high office? This dissertation seeks to answer these questions by means of a detailed case-study of the careers of two colonial governors: Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen (1604-1679)and Rijckloff Volckertsz. van Goens sr. (1619-1682). By following their careers through the rise to high office and the appointment procedures, their time in office and finnaly their fall from power, this dissertation shows how different interests could align to further careers or to break them. By comparing a case from the history of the West India Company with a case from the East India Company, this dissertation shows how the internal workings of both companies actually differed in practice. Both governors spent most of their overseas career in what were atypical colonies: Brazil and Ceylon. Close examination of the policies they proposed not only sheds light on the reasons for their eventual fall from power, it also shows that the assertion that the Dutch companies were mostly interested in trade over territory does not hold true. This suggests that empire is a proper frame for studying the Dutch Republic and its colonies. Show less
In this thesis Marcelo Gerona and Silvana Sosa undertake an analysis of the Great Depression (1928-1934) in a sample of three highly interconnected South American countries: Argentina, Brazil and... Show moreIn this thesis Marcelo Gerona and Silvana Sosa undertake an analysis of the Great Depression (1928-1934) in a sample of three highly interconnected South American countries: Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay (ABU). The problem tackled in this work is the relative vulnerabilities of ABU, which contributed to the strong impact of the Great Depression, as well as the nature of the policy responses to the economic emergency. In this context, the hypothesis is that ABU were highly vulnerable to the Great Depression, and among them the smallest country, Uruguay, was the most vulnerable of all. This research is original not only for having assessed jointly these three scarcely analysed countries from a historical-comparative perspective during this uneasy period of time, but also because of the introduction of a new eclectic conception of ‘complex vulnerability’ that involves many paradigms and points of view. Furthermore, the historic research along with a comparative reference to the Financial Crisis of 2008 helps the reader to understand the role of the semi-periphery, in an effort that is appealing for both historians and policymakers worldwide. Show less
Since the 1980s, a migration has started from the Japanese community in Brazil "back" to Japan. This movement has been studied in recent publications as an interesting example of "return migration"... Show moreSince the 1980s, a migration has started from the Japanese community in Brazil "back" to Japan. This movement has been studied in recent publications as an interesting example of "return migration". This dissertation is based on interviews with migrants of the first and second generation, conducted between 2003 and 2010 in Kandatsu and surroundings. This ethnographic field research shows that the concept of “return” does not properly describe the migration of Japanese Brazilians to Japan, because it is rather a circular movement between the two countries. Moreover, it appears that the identity of these people is an ambivalent dynamic and strategic entity. The study provides important information about the motivation of the migrants, their experiences in Japan, and the challenges they face within and outside the family. It is a very heterogeneous group. Differences in cultural background, appearance, affinity with Japanese culture and Japanese language skills are decisive for the integration process. Within this process migrants handle different strategies that ultimately lead either to a permanent establishment in Japan or a decision to return temporarily or permanently to Brazil. Crucial to the integration process is the success of the Japanese-Brazilian children in Japanese schools. Show less
The following description of contemporary Muslim worship in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is part of a larger inquiry into the Syrian-Lebanese diaspora community of the city. The research was conducted in... Show moreThe following description of contemporary Muslim worship in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is part of a larger inquiry into the Syrian-Lebanese diaspora community of the city. The research was conducted in June and August 2000. Show less
