The "new middle class": Psychosocial repercussions on Brazilian families

Abstract

In an essayistic approach, this article aims to analyze psychosocial effects on the constitution of modes of subjectiviza tion and on families, starting from the emergence of what has been named the "new Brazilian middle class".To achieve this, first a literature review was performed on how sociology, economics, and anthropology have been conceptualizing and character izing this new social class, since there are no studies on this topic in psychology. From the dialogue with media sources, we tried to think about how the construction of a certain "lifestyle" marked by the attempt of planning for the future, consumption, and meritocracy, is being built.Such characteristics are evidenced as important ways to approach the traditional middle class. Finally, we sought to understand how such families have been experiencing changes in their routine, organization, and relationships.