Introduction to “Elites and work in Brazil and Uruguay: the origins of the current debate”

Abstract

This book is a sociological reflection on the position of Brazilian and Uruguayan parliamentary elites in relation to labor laws in the early 20th century. It is a contribution to the current and controversial debate on how to lead a society in which there are less and less demands for human labor, and economic crises push towards drastic solutions as an end to labor laws. The theme of labor laws today returns as a tragicomedy of seeking solutions to the crisis in which we witness the unusual defense of workers for employment at any price and in any situation. Returning to the beginning of the twentieth century and the controversies for the implementation of the first labor laws contributes to perceiving vis a vis the current drama of Latin American society and in particular Brazil and Uruguay.