Organização do trabalho de famílias agricultoras na comunidade Nossa Senhora de Lourdes, microrregião do Guamá no Nordeste Paraense

Abstract

This research analyzed the work organization in production units of farming families in Nossa Senhora de Lourdes community, Mãe do Rio city, Guamá Microregion in Northeastern Pará, from a context of natural environment limitations. This is a case study conducted from qualitative and quantitative approaches, where the main methodological tools used were interviews, questionnaires and participant observation. The survey data were systematized and analyzed from a theoretical approach that prioritized the analysis categories: family, work division and natural environment exploitation. The main conclusions show that: i) families adapt to limiting ecological conditions in which production units are located, creating alternatives to the productive activities development through these units management reconfiguration and its members work organization ii) children departure to wage is a replication of the parents work path. However, even they do not have access to land, there will be a tension situation between the labor demand that the family production unit requires, the childrens need to gain income "right" both to ensure their basic conditions (clothes, shoes, etc.) like to return to the establishment itself (inputs, working tools and animals purchase), and the parents willingness to achieve its children future alternatives, since the production unit will not sustain a lot of families in the same area iii) while for studied farmers an idealized model of work organization is already idealized based on generation, age and sex of individuals, in practice this idealization does not hold for the entire case study, because families ideal models (couples and children who live and work in the same production unit) are challenged with the children departure to perform extra ground activities (farm and nonfarm), a situation that implies an increase in work effort by some members over others, causing disruptions in culturally defined roles.