Experiências femininas nos mundos do trabalho de Serra do Navio e Vila Amazonas/Amapá (1960-1985)

Abstract

The present research analyzes the daily life of two company towns built in Amapá between the late 1950s and the early 1960s: Vila Amazonas and Serra do Navio. These company cities were planned to house the Mineral Industry and Trade (Icomi) employees, who settled in the then Federal Territory of Amapá in the late 1940s, with the aim of exploring the manganese deposits located in Serra do Navio . The objective of the research was to recognize and understand women's experiences in these locations from the period 1960 to 1985, identifying normative discourses and gender distinctions in all their social and professional aspects. The delimited period goes from the arrival of the first families until the opening and, consequently, the beginning of the reduction in the rigidity of the control of those spaces that began in the year of 1985 with the exit of the North American partner Bethlehen Steel. The sources used in this dissertation were: Icomi magazine-news, books, and the memory of former residents. It was found that there was a male hegemonic discourse that was reflected in the roles that were attributed to men and women: men would lead the Amapá to progress and development; it was already the duty of women to educate and care for members of society so as to ensure discipline and health for employees and future employees of the company. This discourse spread, creating a still persistent collective memory that privileges the history of men and silences the female voice. Therefore, the notion of development advocated by the company was directly related to gender issues where women were given a supporting role. Despite this perspective, it was observed that they developed important sociabilities in Serra do Navio and Vila Amazonas. Many of them have broken the gender barriers imposed on them every day. The present dissertation is composed of three chapters. The first one is a general overview of the main debates about the process of manganese exploitation in Amapá. In the second one, the hegemonic androcentric perspective in Icomi-Noticias magazine. The third chapter portrays, through oral reports, women's experiences in company towns of Serra do Navio and Vila Amazonas