Routines of Riparian Women of the Amazon Region: Activities and Roles in the Family, at Work and in the Community

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the perception of the routines of women who live in Amazon riverside communities, identifying the roles and activities related to domestic work, açaí gathering and actions in community associations. The participants were three women from two island communities in Belem, Ilha Grande and Combu, who earn their living solely from açaí gathering, work at home and in community associations. The instruments used were the sociodemographic schedule (ISD), the Inventory of Routine (IR) and Field Diary (DC). All activities are defined by gender. Although riparian women follow the rigid family concepts of gender division in regards to labor, the participation women in paid professional activities, in this case, açaí gathering, has increased. The woman’s place in riparian family structure is considered dynamic and encompasses a cluster of systems that maintain interdependent relationships. In this sense, the context acts as a facilitator for development, producing constancy and change in the characteristics of riverside women and during the course of her life, family and community.