Juventude em tempos de transformação: os impactos do avanço do conservadorismo e do neoliberalismo na formação de valores da Geração Z no Brasil

Abstract

This monograph investigates the processes of political value formation among Brazilian Generation Z in a context marked by the simultaneous rise of neoliberalism and conservatism. The study aims to analyze youth and how the economic, social, and cultural transformations of recent decades have reconfigured the mechanisms of youth political socialization, creating favorable conditions for adherence to anti-democratic values. The theoretical framework is structured around the study of: youth culture and political socialization; neoliberalism as a political rationality that produces subjectivities; conservatism as a style of thought adaptable to contemporary conditions; authoritarianism as a structuring political tradition of Brazilian society; and, finally, social networks as a meeting point between youth and the far right. Methodologically, the research adopts a quantitative approach through the analysis of data from the ESEB (Brazilian Electoral Study) of 2018 and 2022. The results demonstrate not only a significant erosion of trust in representative democratic institutions but also a substantial openness to authoritarian alternatives of government. It can be concluded that the formation of a reactionary youth is not a spontaneous or merely generational phenomenon, but rather results from structural processes of social transformation articulated with deliberate political strategies aimed at capturing youth discontent.