Escravidão contemporânea na América Latina e no Brasil: uma abordagem econômica

Abstract

Brazilian modern slavery has been widely addressed from a legal, anthropological and sociological perspective through the use of descriptive analyses and case studies. This thesis presents an economic analysis of the theme that aims to support theoretical and empirical precepts. The objective is to understand individual vulnerabilities at the Microeconomic level as a rational and utility maximizer agent . In addition, to obtain an overview of modern slavery in Brazil and identify the main municipal determinants of this problem. To achieve this, literature reviews were carried out nationally and internationally, in the normative and practical spheres. For the empirical exercise, descriptive analysis and two econometric models were used, namely, the probit model and the Heckman sample selection model, using data from SmartLab (2018) and the Atlas of Human Development (IBGE, 2013) to understand the municipal determinants of slavery. The results of this exercise indicate that municipalities with low per capita income, low education, high inequality rate and rural population tend to have a more significant number of individuals rescued from working conditions similar to slavery. Therefore, policies that move towards tackling inequality and low education can contribute to mitigate contemporary slavery in Brazilian municipalities. The result of the econometric exercise at municipal level reinforces the theoretical analysis. The slaveholder deprives the individual of agent aspect and consequently, reduces well-being aspect. Education, as instrumental freedom, reinforces the condition of agent and raises well-being.