Nas veredas da sobrevivência: mulheres no setor informal na feira do Ver-o-Peso em Belém, do Pará

Abstract

This dissertation aims to present, based on an ethnography, the trajectories and narratives of women who found at the Ver-o-Peso fair, in Belém do Pará, opportunities for income generation and that without permission by the Municipality of Belém to the use of space at the fair, survive through their informal, autonomous and mobile work. The field research was divided into three moments: a) arrival at the field b) immersion in the field c) meeting women who work at the fair. It was carried out between the months of April 2018 and February 2020. Bibliographic data were collected to provide theoretical support for anthropology and sociology, as well as some quantitative data from the research universe. 66 women were interviewed, aged 17 to 69 years. Qualitative research proved to be essential for the knowledge of life trajectories of women belonging to the informal sector; also, through participant observation, of their work at the fair, essential work activities for daily subsistence. It was observed that the fair represents a welcoming space, which absorbs a large portion of the unemployed population in the city and at the same time represents a challenge for the control of public power and the locus of criminal practices. Informal work is abundant and a hallmark of the Ver-o-Peso fair, mainly represented by the female figure in the space.