Nicaragua has gone through profound political, economic and social transitions in recent decades. Following a turbulent history of dictatorship (Somoza 1936-1979), the Sandinista revolution (1979-1989) and neoliberal adjustment (1990-2006), it remains one of the poorest countries in Latin...

Brazil has had a long period of high inflation. It peaked around 100 percent per year in 1964, decreased until the first oil shock (1973), but accelerated again afterward, reaching levels above 100 percent on average between 1980 and 1994. This last period coincided with severe balance of...

Powerful currents have reshaped the structure of families over the last century. There has been (i) a dramatic drop in fertility and greater parental investment in children; (ii) a rise in married female labor-force participation; (iii) a significant decline in marriage and a rise in divorce; (iv)...