Cultural changes,popular creativity and mass communication: the Brazilian carnival over the past two centuries

The article analyses festive activities of central/south Brazilian urban society during the past two centuries examining cultural changes, the role of popular creativity, and the effect of the mass media. The article notes the rise of a dominant sector in society which imposes cultural creations on the lower classes while at the same time appropriating cultural traits of popular origin adapting those to fit into a consume oriented capitalist system.