Labor e prazer: a prática e o sentido dos mutirões na comunidade Monte Sião, São Domingos do Capim - PA

Abstract

The objective of this work is to understand the practices and the meaning of the joint effort and how they contribute to the establishment of peasant reciprocity relations, based on an analysis of work, especially on joint effort, as an integral part of peasant life, understood as a space of everyday life reproduction. This study was conducted on Monte Sião Community, Northeastern Pará. For research, we opted for the qualitative methodological approach, however, quantitative methods have also been used as a way to assist the interpretation of social reality. As methodological strategy, we use the case study, conducted with 45 families, worth of participant observation, interviews and questionnaires, which made it possible to understand the story of community training, the installation of the Assembly of God Church, the organization of the APEPA, celebration, the social division of work in household production unit, the spaces of sociability and, above all, understand the organization of different joint efforts and reciprocal relations that are established between farmers and peasants and deities, as well as apprehend the notion of collective effort that the peasants have. The study points to reciprocity in essence peasant. The joint effort until the 20th century was conducted to aid in farm work, in cases of illness, especially in the work of cassava plantations. There were two ways to perform the work of clearings: joint effort and the work of the company. The first, a form of mutual assistance not formalised, but understood as a moral contract;the second understood as an institutionalized form, composed of a fixed group of peasants, with tiered registration occupied positions and the activities to be performed.With the socioeconomic transformations, the input of the marketing the açai berry and the depletion of natural resources,the plantations are no longer the main economic activity of the farmers and, as a consequence, the work of company wouldn't exist in the work of clearings, being ressignificado and gaining strength in other activities, such as in the religious institution, where the villagers gather in joint efforts driven by a sense of faith and friendship to perform certain jobs, such as buildings, celebrations, crafts and campaigns to capture financial resources to donate to God, a relationship of reciprocity between men and God. The Association, during a period, also triggered the collective efforts for the management of the palm heart tree and making handicrafts. And, lastly, the joint effort organized by the peasants to have access to electricity. These joint efforts go beyond the utilitarian idea, are understood as a pedagogical space of collective learning. And, even more so, as a form of political action, in addition to representing the union of peasants and the struggle for access to public services historically denied. They don't exist apart from the rest of life. While working people talk of life, gossip, give laughter, make jokes and even disagreements may occur. Thus, we conclude that the joint efforts, in Monte Sião, still alive in essence, peasant being redefined and fired according to the economic, social, political, cultural and religious needs of community.