Espelhos e imagens: um estudo sobre o consumo e distinção de mulheres da “alta classe” gaúcha

Abstract

The present study has had as the main object of investigation and analysis the consumption of women from a fraction of the high-class of Rio Grande do Sul State as a way of obtaining some prestige and some consequential supplier of distinction symbols. The thesis is from the hypothesis that women’s distinctive consumption that belong to this fraction of “gaúcha” high-class is, in the most, referring to non-material possessions which based on their lifestyle, have been incorporated into social and cultural capital and no referring to luxury possessions. The research has been based on fieldwork with some questionnaires applied to 32 women from this fraction of “gaúcha” high-class and subsequently six interviews in order to identify what possessions are considered interactional resources and what ones provide some factors or indicators of social distinction, besides how the choice and the classifications of these consumptions possessions are made in relation to the others. Firstly it has been presented the theoretical-methodological framework for the development of that study, the concepts about luxury, habitus class and taste linking to some strategies of obtaining prestige and social distinction. Secondly the study has brought some analysis out about the process of amassing wealth of the “gaúcha” rural high-class and its transformations against industrialization process from that high-class has been emerged. In this chapter we have discussed about the common sense speech that has been spread by the media in relation to the high-class’ consumption through the exposition of research data. From this study we have concluded that the consumption of non-material or symbolic possessions is the main strategy of social distinction of “gaúcha” high-class women and that the standard of material consumption which in the common sense speech would be distinctive, the investigation has demonstrated it is not a strong element for the studied group.