Papers - Conference 2009 - Institute of Latin American Studies

at home (…) and playing popular sports (such as soccer).” (Machado-Borges: 2003, 43-44)So, as to have imported cars is linked to upper class, one would say that telenovelas tend torepresent the distinction in value that is make between national products (in this case cars) andforeign (imported) ones. Furthermore the fact that wealth people are seen on television travellingabroad states both that elites in Brazil are more globalized than the rest of the country populationand common people in the country do not do it, at least not regularly. Both peculiarities, to haveimported cars and often travel abroad, thus are conceived as sought-after traits to middle class –“that are close to the elite in their consumption practices”- and lower-class. However, while theformer has the means to “be close to the elite”, the latter has “other kinds of leisure activities” –such as play soccer and watch TV (!)- that are closer to the Brazilian identity (re)created in thepast by (surprisingly!) radionovelas.Percentage of Brazilian residences with different medium access by social class in 2006 14120100806040TV setsRadio setsInternet connectionPaid TV200Class A Class B Class C Class DEb. PAID MEDIA IN BRAZIL14 Comitê Gestor da Informática no Brasil, TIC Domicilios e Usuarios, 2006.http://www.cetic.br/usuarios/tic/2006/index.htm . Accessed on May 3 rd 2009.12