Goldstein CH 6 and 7

1. Sexuality

1.1. Sexuality is a central part of Brazilian culture and social life

1.2. "Sexual teasing and banter are common in Felicidade Eterna

1.3. Cariocas are very open about their sexuality, even elders publicly express interest in sex

1.4. Liberatory quality, one that "encourages various forms of transgressive play"

2. Machismo

2.1. "The carnivalization of desire is largely, although not entirely, a masculine vision of desire and transgression. As a result. counter-discourse to this particular vision are difficult to develop."

2.2. "Among working class Cariocas, it is considered unhealthy for men to go too long without sex: it can provoke insanity."

2.3. Men tend to take advantage of women, especially if they are in need of something

2.3.1. Children are sometimes abused by step-fathers, uncles, ect.

2.4. "It's hard for women to protest male infidelity or to govern transgressive male sexuality because it is considered "normal"."

3. The Rape

3.1. "Women are sometimes left without the proctection of their male relatives or anyone at all; sometimes women dinf that the protection afforded by male relatives comes at it's own high cost." (264)

3.2. They would tease one girl, claiming she was trying to act like she was still a virgin. (265-66)

3.3. Gloria's strictness after the incident seemed worse to the girls that the rape (267)

3.4. Because they fear the police, they do not utilise the legal systems in rape cases. (270)

4. Humor

4.1. Humor is used as a "response to a moral and legal system that is currently incapable of addressing the grievances of women in the dominated classes."

4.2. Stories become understandable as funny women presented with the full context of the story.

5. Class differences

5.1. "Esteves found that lower-class women making rape accusations in court were forces to adopt a more elite view of sexuality in order to approximate judiciary views of sexuality that were dominant in elite culture at the time. Because the coal culture of women differ according to class position, women from the lower classes who might not place much importance on their loss of virginity, would be forced to feign an interest in their own virginity to prove their credentials as an honest women. These young women from lower classes had to hide their true values and beliefs about sexuality from their middle class neighbors and bosses."

5.2. "Although procedural democratic practices may have returned for the middles classes, nothing inherent in the transitions to democracy guarantees either procedural or substantive democracy for the lower classes."