The Politics of Population in Brazil: Elite Ambivalence and Public Demand.

Examines attitudes toward population planning among Brazilian government officials and other elite groups--bishops politicians labor leaders businessmen--in comparison with mass public opinion. It is found that elites seriously underestimate the desire for family planning services while the public views birth control as a basic issue. A major reason for this disparity is that the elites tend to define the issue as a matter of national power and collective growth and the public sees it as a matter affecting the daily lives of families. The gulf is further exacerbated by the stereotyping of public opinion by the elites as conservative and disinterested in family planning. Despite these differences population planning is less conflict ridden than many other controversial issues in Brazil and probably more amenable to piecemeal bargaining than some earlier studies have suggested. In part this is because attitudes on the issues are not closely identified with the left or the right. Additionally religious sentiment affects the public attitude only indirectly relecting an historical lack of penetration of Brazilian society by the church. This situation is notably different from those in Spain and Ireland where fierce debates on moral issues have arisen. Data are drawn from 2 cross sectional surveys conducted during 1972 and 73.