EDUCATION AND WORK: TION AND WORK: psycho-educative practice in a labor cooperative

Abstract

This phenomenological interventionist research in the area of Educational Psychology investigates the experiences of women from a low-income community in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, who form part of a sewing cooperative, and the implications on the process of building these women’s identity Throughout the research, a psycho-educational practice was developed which we termed ‘Reflective Meetings”. These were weekly meetings with co-operative members, in which we discussed topics selected by them, relating to their experiences in the cooperative. The research highlights the fact that, together with market problems, professional training, and a lack of resources, among other problems involving the cooperative, there was another fundamental issue: These women have built their identity in subalternity. Thus, even though they no longer worked as maids or child-minders, they still face huge obstacles in attempting to become more independent. The research also showed that the reflective practice used in our weekly meetings proved to be a useful instrument for helping the women choose between replacing their subaltern identity or becoming more independent. The research therefore revealed the difficulties and possibilities that exist in the lives of the women working for the cooperative, and also developed a Psycho-educational practice on which we based the Reflective Meetings.