The soap opera in history:

theoretical and methodological challenges in the analysis of the soap opera “O Bem-Amado”

Abstract

This study aimed to discuss the theoretic-methodological aspects and specificity of the soap opera as an object and source of historical research. Considering it as a product of wide adherence to the Brazilian public, the soap opera has emerged as remarkable images emittingand as representations of everyday domestic life. However, it still has not been studied in the context of historical research, either as an object or as a source of study. We will take as ancental axis of this work a methodology used for analysis of the “O Bem-Amado” soap opera, written by Dias Gomes and transmitted by the RedeGlobo channel in the years 1973 and 1977.