Occupation has color, gender, and class: A study on the experiences of peripheral Black Brazilian women from an intersectional perspective

Introduction

Matrices of oppression emerge from the intersection of racism, heterocispatriarchy, and capitalism. Black women, because of their race and gender, face invisibility, neglect, and both social and occupational injustice. Understanding and addressing these issues is essential to promoting equity and justice for these women and the entire community.

Objective

This study aimed to understand the everyday lives of socially vulnerable Black women by examining how issues of race, gender, and social class shape their occupations.

Methodological pathways

This qualitative study was conducted with six peripheral Black women from a municipality in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, using the narrative method of Life History. The interviews, conducted between January and March 2022, were examined through thematic analysis, revealing the impacts of intersectional oppressions on their occupational experiences.

Results

The participants face difficulties in the school environment, at work, and in public spaces, where they are subjected to oppressions that reflect colonial, capitalist, and heterocispatriarchal traumas. Although they develop strategies of protection and resistance, oppressive structures continue to exclude them and restrict their social participation.

Future implications and final considerations

The occupational experiences of Black women reveal intersectional oppressions rooted in race, class, and gender across diverse social contexts. These experiences underscore the role of social structures in perpetuating racism, machismo, and other forms of inequality and discrimination. Occupational science must incorporate intersectional perspectives to fully understand the occupational experiences of these women and, in turn, promote actions committed to a more just, equitable, and democratic society.