PROFESSIONAL AND AFFECTIVE LIFE OF 21TH CENTURY WOMEN: THE CASE OF THE PERMITTEES IN THE OTÁVIO ROCHA VIADUCT PORTO ALEGRE

Abstract

Female roles such as mother, wife and professional are recurrent in discussions brought about by different subjects (Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, Administration). This research aims at analyzing the thinking and behavior of women that work in a certain commercial space in Porto Alegre, and to what extent action and supposedly modern discourses are coherent or contradictory. This task was accomplished by using the ethnographic method and techniques of true-life stories, testimonies, and systematic and participative observation to follow the trajectory of four women that work at the Otávio Rocha viaduct in Porto Alegre, between August 2002 and April 2003. The findings indicate that decisions are still centered on the male character. It is up to him to say yes or no when it comes to adopting a child, or to decide whether the work outside the home limits should be considered as a hobby or viewed as an opportunity of growth and professional accomplishment.