Quilombola men and their work: a mapping of the health of these workers

Quilombola men perform productive activities that require great physical strength in environments conducive to several risks, accidents, and health problems. This study aimed to map the work processes of quilombola men in three locations in Norte de Minas region in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, using the methodological framework of Cartography proposed by Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari. Data were produced by the observation of work processes, individual interviews, and records of the effects in a mapping diary. Discourse analysis Allowed for the elaboration of a descriptor flowchart and the definition of three thematic categories. In the mapped locations, the intersection of gender, ethnicity, and class collaborates directly for the performance of activities in charcoal furnaces, quarries, and banana plantations. These environments are highly unhealthy due to the presence of heat and smoke, methods that demand great physical effort and produce silica dust, excessive sun exposure, and the use of pesticides. The integration between the workers’ health surveillance (VISAT) and the Brazilian Public Labor Prosecutor Office allows for the articulation of an intersectoral network of popular education, technical assistance, and professional training and qualification. These measures will directly affect the health-disease process, the quality of life of workers, and the environmental preservation of the mapped locations.

Keywords:
Quilombola Communities; Geographic Mapping; Intersectional Framework; Occupational Exposure