Meaning and organization of work of women working as coconut breakers in Bico do Papagaio, Tocantins

Abstract

This is a geographical research developed in the region of Bico do Papagaio, in the northern state of Tocantins. We established a reading of the work category, with an emphasis on the breaking of the babaçu coconut by women, and identity category, due to their resistance in the territory. We used, as a methodology, the qualitative research with semi-structured interviews as well as landscape description. The persistence of these women as coconut breakers in preventing the felling of babaçu trees allowed the existence of this practice for more than 40 years in Tocantins. When it comes to identity, the work on breaking the babaçu coconut is the baseline for these women. The act of just collecting the coconut is considered as a breakup in the foundations of their union. Breaking the coconut gives them sociability, unlike just collecting it in a scattered form throughout the palm trees without meeting each other.