Name: LUANA SODRÉ DA SILVA SANTOS
Publication date: 27/11/2023
Examining board:
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| ANA PAULA RODRIGUES DINIZ | Examinador Externo |
| JOSIANE SILVA DE OLIVEIRA | Examinador Externo |
| JULIANA CRISTINA TEIXEIRA | Presidente |
| KATIA CYRLENE DE ARAUJO VASCONCELOS | Examinador Interno |
| LETICIA DIAS FANTINEL | Examinador Interno |
Summary: Black women in academic settings, particularly in teaching and research roles,
face obstacles that impact their entry and persistence as knowledge producers
and education professionals. Among these challenges, sexual harassment
stands out as a patriarchal gender violence that violates the victims integrity by
undermining the autonomy of women as individuals. Treated as beings without
subjectivities, their bodies are reduced to sexual objects, subjected to
subjugation and violence by men. Specifically, Black women grapple with racial
issues, emphasizing the need to broaden the concept of sexual harassment
(SH). Beyond the legal context, a sociological discussion is undertaken, drawing
on the concepts of cosmo-perception and worldview from Afrocentric theories to
prioritize alternative perspectives and consider Black women as a collective
subject. Additionally, African and Afro-diasporic authors are employed to reclaim
the autonomy and humanity of Black women in postgraduate studies, exploring
non-Eurocentric ways of being and living. In predominantly white and male
academia, literature indicates that these women are challenged for constructing
knowledge that goes against the hegemonic narrative. Instances of racism and
sexism are found to hinder, marginalize, and discredit them. The methodological
approach of “falavivência”; based on Conceição Evaristo’s concept of
“Escrevivência” is used to orally explore how they experience their academic
journeys in the field of Administration. Conversations with academic leaders in
the field of Administration are also conducted to understand institutional
responses to sexual harassment in their spaces. Falavivências reveal the
adversities of existing in unwelcoming spaces. Notably, among the reported
violences are epistemicides, silencings, sexual harassment based on gender,
and associations with stereotypes like mulatto, black mother, and domestic
worker. These incidents, whether interconnected or isolated, aim to position
them in the realm of non-being, causing both visible and invisible wounds.
Conversely, survival strategies rooted in collectivity are observed, enabling
them to persist and claim their rightful space. The concept of “quilombo”
emerges as a path to reclaim self-knowledge and self-definition. In this thesis,
falavivência fosters affectionate connections with participants, including the
researcher. The care, affection, and metaphorical “lap” subvert the violent
expectations imposed on them, facilitating the construction of another Black
woman in control of her body, desires, and aspirations. Ultimately, by expanding
the concept of sexual harassment, the thesis effectively addresses the
violences they endure. The integration with Afrocentricity opens up new
possibilities for being an woman “amefricana”.
