Sociabilidade e identidade entre mulheres: vivências partilhadas do grupo de mulheres que atuam na Pastoral da Saúde da Comunidade João XXIII

Abstract

This dissertation explores the sociability and identity of women who are active in the Health Ministry of the João XXIII Community in Pelotas. The study also draws on the concepts of gender, religiosity, caregiving, aging, reciprocity, and recognition. The Health Ministry has been active since 1996 and is entirely run and sustained by women, all of whom are retired elderly individuals working on a voluntary basis. The research sought to examine the spaces in which these women operate within this context and to investigate the creation and maintenance of their sociability networks, which are fundamental to the enduring continuity of the Health Ministry. The analyses are based on empirical research conducted between 2021 and 2024, which included participant observation and ten semi-structured interviews with the women involved in the Health Ministry during the same period. The research also employed field journals to document information about visits, individuals involved, activities undertaken, and the organization of spaces. The study concludes that the intersection of gender and religiosity positions these women in central roles within the religious sphere, challenging stereotypes that associate caregiving exclusively with femininity. The Health Ministry has emerged as a space where aging, religiosity, and gender intersect, enabling its members to reaffirm their identities.