The Movement against Hunger in Brazil: Regime Transitions and the Genealogy of a Social Movement.

Despite over 40 years of activism, a multitude of government programs, and increased awareness among all sectors of Brazilian society, poverty and hunger are still severe social ills. This paper will trace the genealogy of the social movement against hunger in Brazil with the goal of exploring how elite alliances, during specific political contexts, can either help or hinder a social movement’s outcome. Cross-class coalitions are viewed favorably in most social movement scholarship and are often understood as an important step in a movement’s development. However, this case illustrates that elite linkages are not always beneficial, as being heard is not nearly as important as satisfying one’s basic needs. An additional objective of this analysis is to challenge popular notions (though by no means uncontested) of movement “success.” There have been impressive advances surrounding the issue of hunger in both governmental circles and amongst the general public, yet poverty and hunger rates remain high. This case shows that conventional politics may not always be the best course of action. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]