Digital inclusion and inequalities of demand for culture in Brazil

Abstract

We intend to analyze the evolution of the concentration of cultural expenditures in the Brazilian Metropolitan Regions (MRs), based on the Brazilian Consumer Expenditure Survey of 2002-2003 and 2008-2009. The paper aims at understanding changes in consumption patterns in face of recent technological changes, focusing on inequalities between and inside Brazilian Metropolitan Regions. It was verified which items contributed to the increase (reduction) in the concentration of household expenditure on culture, through decomposition of the Gini coefficient according to the different items of cultural expenditures. The main findings were: significant increase in the consumption of new communication technologies; increased concentration of expenditure on outdoor cultural activities; the intensity of concentration is similar between the MRs, while within these regions income and education are the main factors influencing the propensity to consume.

Keywords
digital inclusion; cultural goods expenditures; desconcentration; classes of income; household expenditures; Brazilian Metropolitan Regions