Mulheres na economia solidária: como o design pode contribuir para o trabalho do “Grupo arte e vida”

Abstract

Design has been historically present in people's lives under different aspects. Thinking about design as a way to improve the quality of life of the vast majority of the population is a discussion that arose even in the 1960s, and has been revived more recently by design scholars with social and environmental concern. In order to approach the discussion between design and society, we sought a group that was inserted in the work context favorable to the contribution of design. The group of women Art and Life is formed by residents of Vila São Brás, in Dourados-MS, state of Mato Grosso do Sul e has existed since 2016. This group of women is part of a project of the Incubator of Social and Solidarity Technologies of the Federal University of Grande Dourados (ITESS / UFGD) and participate in the Solidarity Economy in the city of Dourados. Women produce bags from banners of banners discarded by the UFGD. The approach of the work with participatory design and Solidary Economy motivated the research begun in February of 2018 and concluded in 2019, with the effective participation of 7 women and of these, 4 accepted to be interviewed. The research was carried out through weekly and interdisciplinary activities, based on activities of reading, audiovisual, drawings, conversations, with the strengthening of collective relations, so necessary for Solidarity Economy. The experience with participatory design also sought to re-sign work for the lives of these women by themselves, as they now understand better that work and personal satisfaction can go together, start a real process of selfmanagement, think of exposing their work at local fairs and in weekly joint work, the result is always a new piece, worked collectively.