Mulher, terra e trabalho: trajetória femininas na agricultura familiar mineira nos anos 1990

Abstract

This work analyzes the feminine trajectories in the mineira family agriculture in the 90ies. The comprehension ofhow these trajectories influenced woman's participation in the composition ofthe fàmily strategies and in the social relations established along the family lifetime was searched. The methodologyofthe research was based on a qualitative approach, through case study in two places: the Boa Vista community, in Itaguara/MG, and the Assentamento Dom Orione, Betim/MG. The family was considered as a study unit. The data collecting used semi-structured interviews, with pre-elaborated scripts, besides observation and field note. Boa Vista is composed by farmers that have been living there for more than 200 years. They combine agricultural and non-agricultural activities. The women dedicate themselves to housework, agriculture activities and to the mineiro weaver loom. The weaver loom allows a redefinition ofgenderrelations, inthe economic view, by modifying some ofthe family attributions, the domestic jòumey and the management strategies ofthe productiveunit. But this redefinition does not affirm itselffor the women, which reproduce subordination and the invisible speech. It was concluded that, in the rural domain where multi-activity stands out, the agrarian environment restricts it, valorizing agriculture, tuming the multi-activity into a complement and accessory. The Assentamento Dom Orione is formed by migrant families, of rural origin, with experiences ofrural and urban wage earning. They dedicate themselves to agricultural activities, especially horticulture andprovision crops. The women are involved in household, productive and community management activities. However, these activities are understood as part of the feminine obligations. It can be thought thatthere is a retraction in women's autonomy the Assentamento.There, their subordination to the family is more explicit, and control mechanisms are stronger. In this rural área, closerto the urban site, the agricultural activities stands out, restricting and subordinating the women's participation.