Fernandes came from a poor family with his mother being a "washerwoman". In youth he took a series of odd jobs and had an erratic education until he attended the
University of São Paulo in 1941. In 1945 he graduated and by 1964 was a full professor in
sociology. In that same year he won the
Prêmio Jabuti. In 1969 he fled to
Canada for political reasons and began to teach at the
University of Toronto. In 1986 he returned to
Brazil and became involved in the
Partido dos Trabalhadores. In his treatment of
Marxism, he is known for presenting hybrid views that diverged from orthodox theory and from conventional leftist practical concessions. His name is closely associated with the modernization of sociological research in Brazil and
Latin America. A sociologist and university professor with more than 50 published works, he transformed social thought in Brazil and established a new standard of sociological research characterized by analytical and critical rigor. He also advanced a new level of intellectual performance. At 75 he died of an
embolism related to liver trouble and dialysis treatment.
Electoral history == References ==