ABSTRACT
Purpose:
Understand the centrality of work for the Brazilian emerging social class, known as "new" middle class.
Originality/gap/relevance/implications:
This paper contributes academically, since This paper aims at a recent phenomenon currently under debate. Since we are talking about a class in which work remains the centralizing element of their lives and, therefore, within the organizational world, it is of fundamental importance that the Organizational Studies add their contribution.
Key methodological aspects:
There are few papers written about this theme, so our paper was based on the systematic review of literature.
Summary of key results:
The simple and superficial association among class, income and consumption does not suffice to understand the complexity that lies behind the distinction structures and separation of classes. When we perceive society as a mere reproduction of the market, in other words, though income and consumption, we are perpetuating the naturalization of overexploitation of capital that posed as an individual modifying action. The accumulation has become something so subtle in society that we do not realize that the exaltation of income and consumption as responses to social changes is frivolous and hides all the symbolic domination of capitalism.
Key considerations/conclusions:
We claim there isn't the uprising of a new middle class, but a new working class. For these subjects, work remains the central and transforming element of their lives, which also allows access to what was once restricted to a small amount of the population.
KEYWORDS
Social class; New middle class; Income; Consumption; Work