AbstractDeparting from a social demographic perspective, I discuss changes in Brazilian families today and focus on various discourses regarding the changing family. I then present some of the more recent interpretations about family changes and a demographic profile of family arrangements in the 1980’s and discuss three ot the main arguments defending a breakup of he family in Brazil, which I critique, insisting on the complexity of factors associated with changing family arrangements and in the difficulties with interpreting these. Finally, I conclude that the family in Brazil has not been substituted by other institutions nor is it in decline.0168-110