Analysis of social representations of garbage collectors of Sergipe about their social reality

Abstract

In the present study analyzes the social representations of the garbage from a city of Sergipe, through the study of self assigned feelings, expectations of life, the concepts attributed to manpower in the trash and the relationships between these three variables. To this end, the interview was applied to workers of the garbage dump on the spot where toil. Achieving a better understanding of social exclusion as well as its effects have been done – before the data analysis – a study about the same since the beginning of its resurgence in Brazil to its current manifestation of the disease in Sergipe. Then presented the theoretical framework covering definitions related to the stereotype, prejudice, discrimination, social representation, identity and other social concepts, highlighting Allport’s ideas about prejudice and about the social representations Moscovici. Through these concepts, we examined the speeches that were obtained by applying an open interview with a semi-structured. Data analysis revealed that, despite the apparent discrepancies between the responses, all subjects showed two common elements that have marked his speeches and behavior: the shame and suffering. Both showed the incidence of discrimination and prejudice on the garbage collectors. Because of this situation they have developed negative representations of themselves.