Developing gerontology in a developing country: The case of Sao Paulo, Brazil

This paper details the efforts of a team of professionals to establish a gerontology center in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The focus is on some of the problems of the emergent profession in Brazil: the uncertain labor market; the problems of recruiting; the problems of generating a knowledge base on aging drawn from Brazil rather than borrowed from the American or European context; the problems of visibility, legitimacy, and financial support for the new gerontology center; the competition of aging programs with other government priorities. The article concludes by citing some benefits that might accrue to the field of gerontology by underwriting the development of such centers on aging in the developing countries.