O trabalho para além da casa: o centro comunitário Nova Canaã como espaço de socialização do trabalho de cuidados e de coletivização feminina

Abstract

This research investigates the relationship between gender, care work and the production of space, understanding architecture as a tool capable of either reproducing or transforming social inequalities. The study is based on a historical analysis of the sexual division of labor and its materialization in domestic and urban spaces, highlighting how reproductive and care work has historically been assigned to women, remaining invisible and undervalued. In the Brazilian context, this reality is further intensified by racial and class inequalities, which particularly affect Black and low-income women. The research combines a literature review, analysis of public policies, mapping of care-related public facilities in the city of Goiânia, study of women’s solidarity economy initiatives, and investigation of architectural experiences aimed at collectivizing everyday activities. The intervention area selected for the project is the Nova Canaã Community, located in the Vera Cruz I district, Goiânia-GO, where listening activities and field observations were conducted with local residents. Based on the demands identified within the community and on the theoretical and architectural references studied, the project proposes a community center focused on the socialization of care work, the promotion of collective practices, and the strengthening of women’s autonomy. The proposal integrates spaces for education, social interaction, productive activities, food preparation and community support, understanding architecture not merely as physical shelter but as a tool for social transformation and for the construction of more equitable and democratic ways of inhabiting space.