Algodão, música e história: coletivo de tecelãs do Vale do Jequitinhonha e a construção da identidade feminina

Abstract

Work is a fundamental activity in adult life, impacting various aspects of an individual's development, including their identity. This study aims to understand, through narratives on social media, how women weavers in the Jequitinhonha Valley characterize their handicrafts and their lives through work, considering the analysis of the process of constructing female identity in this territory and the appreciation of handicrafts. Seventeen Instagram posts and four YouTube videos were analyzed from a Historical-Cultural theoretical-methodological perspective. The women's accounts show that handicrafts go beyond individual action, involving aspects such as ancestry, affectivity, and life transformation, both economically and psychologically. Therefore, the weaving work carried out collectively by women in the Jequitinhonha Valley is fundamental to the constitution of female identity and the transformation of lives in the territory, highlighting the importance of valuing handicrafts and collectivity.