Higher education and affirmative action policies in Rio Grande do Sul: inequalities and equity

ABSTRACT This article compares the level of information, acceptance and judgement of affirmative action policies in Brazilian higher education, based on a survey conducted in 2015 with the population of Rio Grande do Sul state. The sample included 990 respondents. Characteristics of the interviewees such as age, sex, color, educational attainment, income and religion were accounted for. The analysis was based on the comparison of two laws: in the private sector, Law 11.096/2005, which created Prouni (the University for Everyone Program), and Law 12.711/2012, known as the Quota Law, implemented in the federal public sector. We found great familiarity with Prouni and high acceptance of this Program. On the other hand, nearly one third of the sample did not know about the Quota Law and almost 10% opposed it. Considering this result, the reasons and consequences of lesser information and acceptance of the Quota Law are analyzed taking as theoretical references Bourdieu’s contributions and equity issues.