Na rua a gente nunca consegue construir uma casa: as trajetórias invisíveis de mulheres em situação de rua em Belo Horizonte

Abstract

The present work aims to understand the meanings that the street space acquires from the perspective of women who are homeless in the city of Belo Horizonte. It is understood that the individuals who make up the group of homeless people are diverse, and this group is not homogeneous. Thus, the specificities regarding gender and race cause the experiences of these individuals to be experienced differently due to these identity markers. Therefore, the meanings attributed to the street can be many. The research data were obtained from fieldwork on the streets of the so-called lower downtown area of Belo Horizonte, a region that houses the vast majority of this population. Five interviews were conducted using a semi-structured guiding script, in addition to some informal conversations. The method of data analysis was discourse analysis, which allows us to understand the nuances of the meanings of the obtained discourses through what is said and not said. Through these interviews, it was possible to elucidate the various reasons that lead these women to occupy the street space, as well as to understand the complexity that involves the dichotomy between home and street from a gendered perspective. The meanings that the street space acquires for these women are many, and their experiences allow them to build strategies and social relationships that help them (re)signify this space, which is so marked by stigmas and prejudices. In this way, their experiences enable them to exist and resist, building bonds and producing a new meaning for the street.