TALES OF PAIN, LOVE AND JOY: SOCIAL REPRESENTATIONS OF SINGLE MOTHERHOODSingle motherhood has significant repercussions for women and society, affecting relational,family, economic, and social dynamics, since it is surrounded by unequal gender relations and social vulnerability. Thus, the aim was to analyze the Social Representations of single motherhood in the context of poverty. To this end, an action research was carried out, consisting of the application of a sociodemographic questionnaire, a semi-structured interview, and the practice known as Tenda do Conto (Storytelling Tent). The participants were twelve mothers, with an average age of 39 years, who have resources from the Bolsa Família Program as their main source of income. Evocations related to paternal abandonment and maternal overload, caregiving, regret, homemaking, raising children and violence against women were obtained. In view of this, it is understandable thatthere are representations that oscillate between societal expectations and a breach of this expectation. This situation requires the competent bodies to develop new strategies to support this group.
Keywords:
Gender Inequality; Bolsa Família Program; Social Psychology; Poverty; Tendado Conto