Alimentação, corpo e afeto : um estudo de gênero e etnia

Abstract

This thesis presents studies on food practices of women of Italian lineage that reside in the mountainous regions of Rio Grande do Sul and are assisted by specialized nutrition assistance. Objective: investigate the possible relations between the culture of Italian immigrants of that region and the eating patterns of these women, obtained through them and their respective dieticians, based on Gender Studies, Social Psychology and Health Psychology. Method: in composing this thesis, three studies were carried out. The first study had the purpose of getting acquainted with the perception of professionals in the area of nutrition on the eating habits of their patients, as well as factors that interfere in the treatment and evaluation of such cases. The second study investigated the importance of women in transmitting culture in and outside family boundaries from the perspective of the participants assisted by dieticians. The third study intended to discuss the interference of emotional and ethnic-cultural factors in food reeducation of women of Italian lineage. Nine dieticians and twenty-two women assisted by the first in a process of food reeducation took part in the research through a semi-structured interview. The data obtained went through a thematic content analysis and was divided in categories. Results: the conclusion of the three studies allowed us to acknowledge the magnitude of emotional and cultural interference in the eating habits of the participants that undergo food reeducation. Furthermore, we evidence the importance of the social representations of food to comprehend the interpersonal relationships for this population. It also allowed us to recognize the permanence of the role of the maternal figure as the main responsible for the transgenerational transmission of values, beliefs and customs. Final considerations: Food reeducation is a complex process that primarily involves biological, psychological and social-cultural factors. The lack of attention to the ethnic-cultural influence may limit the spectrum of interventions in this area to both dieticians and psychologists.