“…Generally, while consensual unions were common among the lower social strata until the middle of the 20 th century, the institutions of marriage and the family among the upper classes were based on hierarchic, authoritarian and patriarchal relationships, under the strong influence of Catholic-based morality (FREYRE, 2000). Moreover, many demographers and historians point to a notable variance in terms of family compositions and roles among different social strata and regions of the country (ALMEIDA, 1987;CORRÊA, 1993;SAMARA;COSTA, 1997;SAMARA, 1987;SOUZA;BOTELHO, 2001). It is now well accepted in the Brazilian social sciences that the influence of the Catholic Church on family life, the patriarchal model of family and gender and ethnic relations inside the family, all vary considerably across Brazilian regions and social classes (SAMARA, 2010;SOUZA;BOTELHO, 2001).…”