Abstract:
The way in which the state, the market, and families interact objectifies itself through consumption practices, which impacts in particular material conditions and affects the life and wellbeing of poor citizens. This article analyses the habits and consumption practices of public goods and services drawing on fieldwork in informal urban settlements in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. It argues that access to these goods it’s not only a necessary condition for the exercise of citizens’ rights, but that access also functions as a means of differentiation and distinction.
Keywords:
Consumption; Public goods and services; Citizenship