Argentina: "Myth" of egalitarian society fading away for young people

[Louisiana1976]

BUENOS AIRES, Dec 16 (IPS) - A study on young people and human development in South America's Mercosur trade bloc indicates that while in Brazil, the country's longstanding social inequality is the focus of at least somewhat successful efforts to combat it, in Argentina the vision of an equitable society is fading away.

The study, carried out in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, the four full member countries of Mercosur (the Southern Common Market), was published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with the support of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and presented in Montevideo last week.

"Argentine society has changed with respect to its past self-image, which was largely a myth," says the 2009-2010 Mercosur Human Development Report, titled "Innovating for Inclusion: Youth and Human Development".

The study concludes that in Argentina, in spite of its relatively high level of human development compared to its neighbours, young people between the ages of 15 and 29 suffer from "unfavourable social inclusion," with precarious jobs, high school drop-out rates, and newer challenges like urban violence and discrimination.

In a section headed "Argentina: the country that is no more and the end of the egalitarian myth," the report says "the traditional vision of a society 'with a passion for equality' is contradicted by increasing inequality, with signs indicating increased distance between classes that are separated by fear, stigma and discrimination."

snip

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=49712

[dusmcj]

1. but a dominance hierarchy is "natural law", you wouldn't want to oppose that would you ? /nt

[JVS]

2. Until we win the class war, this will be our fate.

[HuckleB]

3. Thanks for posting.

Argentina does remind me (mildly) of the future of the US. Interestingly, my perception of inequality in Brazil is that it's even worse there. But perception doesn't mean much.