This paper examines the social construction of contemporary slave problem in Northern Rio´s state, considering its senses and meanings and eradication strategies. A qualitative research referenced by Social Psychology, specifically Berger, Luckmann Lenoir concept about social construction of reality, was performed. An extensive literature search (regional newspapers, academic texts and institutional documents) has taken and we did interviews with local social actors (workers, social movements, public agencies). To data treatment it was used Critical Discourse Analysis. The results demonstrated peculiarities in utterance, recognition, legitimization and institutionalization processes of the problem in that region, through worker´s claim, the formation and actions of a Popular Committee and State performance in monitoring the problem.
slave labor; social problem; social construction; northern Rio de Janeiro.