O mundo dos catadores e catadoras: precarização do trabalho, economia solidária e as associações de reciclagem em Erechim/RS

Abstract

This study aims to analyze how the process of precariousness of contemporary work impacts some sectors in society, especially the case of the occupation of collector/recyclable material collector, in order to understand the ways this public obtains work and income. The process investigated was the constitution of recycling associations in the city of Erechim/RS, which integrates a network of agents in the realization of selective collection. The methodology used comprises semi-structured interviews, document analysis and official data from secondary sources. The analyzes were based on the theoretical scope of the Sociology of Work, in which we guide aspects about the occupation of collectors of recyclable materials, and Solidarity Economy, which encompasses the processes of formation and organization of recycling associations in the city. The justification of this research is the topicality of the themes that are intended to be addressed, through the study of a concrete social experience, addressing the way in which individuals who find themselves in precarious spaces organize themselves socially and politically, in an attempt to change the situation of vulnerability in which they find themselves, in the search for social esteem and improvement of occupation. It was concluded that, being a collector, despite an occupation socially placed under the status of precariousness, it still constitutes an alternative for survival for a significant social segment of individuals. Partnerships established between different sectors and agents involved in integrated waste management can be a lever for the inclusion and autonomy of these groups of people in local contexts.