Maternity in the favela

A case study of two mothers living in Complexo do Alemão, Rio de Janeiro.

Abstract

Motherhood is historically related to care and creation. It is women who mainly perform these household chores. When we talk about women from the favela, we are also talking about poor and mostly black women. And women who do not have the financial resources to delegate care tasks. In this sense, domestic and caring tasks are socialized among women in the family and the neighborhood, thus creating a support and support network. The present work is a case study that aims to analyze the narratives and discourses constructed by two women living in a slum in Complexo do Alemão, in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, about motherhood, the execution of domestic tasks and living and raising a child in the favela amidst the state's violence. We bring the conversations developed with two women living in the favela, analyzing their narratives about the themes of motherhood, domestic work, informality, social assistance, living in the favela, being a mother woman living in the favela, among other points.