Quebradeiras de coco babaçu, organização e mobilização política no Lago do Junco e Lago dos Rodrigues, região do Médio Mearim (MA): a experiência na fábrica de sabonete

Abstract

The present work deals with a situation of conflicts experienced by the Coco Babaçu breakers in the region of the Médio Mearim caused by the restriction in the access to the Palmeiras de Babaçu due to the enclosures of these areas by farmers. These struggles have also been based on the relations established with the state that "tries" at any cost to implement its administrative political logic to the specific way in which these social agents think and practice their dynamics in the soap production factory. I seek, in this sense, to understand how these relations represent their struggles for free access to the babaçuais and assure their autonomy from the works made in the soap factory, affirming their ethnic identities in the face of these social tensions. I reflect on how the autonomy and its knowledges involve distinct networks of social relationships that are interconnected beyond the factory. Although most partners are not directly involved in the making of soap, the process of engaging these women occurs through the AMTR through discussions about its functioning. Therefore, this dissertation aims to reflect on the process of organization and political mobilization of coco babaçu breakers, from the elements that help to strengthen the identity around the productive activity of soap. The work related to the field research was developed in the Ludovico community in the municipality of Lago do Junco, State of Maranhão, where the "Babaçu Livre" soap factory is located. In this study, the process of constructing the identity of coco babaçu breakers was observed, starting from the constitution of a network of social relations with different institutions, such as: COPPALJ, ASSEMA, AMTR, ACR, ACESA, Pastoral da Criança, ACR, STTR de Lago do Junco and Lago Rodrigues and EFA, using traditional knowledge and practices represented by the way of doing, creating and living these relationships transformed into struggles.