Rosto sorridente, coração pesado: Identidades, emoções e raça, uma reflexão sobre profissionais de beleza em Goiânia

Abstract

This study analyzes the working conditions, identity constructions, and challenges faced by professionals in the hygiene and beauty sector in Goiânia, Brazil, with particular attention to the intersections of identity, emotion, and race. It investigates how these workers experience their trajectories within a context marked by labor flexibilization, persistent informality, and subjective demands involving the performance of “good service” and emotional regulation. Based on a mixed-methods approach, the research included 60 questionnaires and 12 interviews with professionals from the field, aiming to deepen the understanding of these dynamics, alongside the analysis of public databases (PNAD, RAIS, and Simples Nacional). The findings indicate a predominance of Black women working in the sector, often under conditions characterized by financial insecurity, long working hours, and lack of formal labor contracts. Racial tensions, gender inequalities, and the effects of emotional labor on daily routines are also evident. Within this scenario, the strategies developed by these workers to maintain their activity, preserve their self-esteem, and seek both professional and symbolic recognition stand out, even amid the contradictions and instabilities that pervade the sector’s everyday life.