Labor, work, and action: relevant elements regarding Arendt’s concepts in autobiographical reports of workers from the transportation sector

Authors

  • Vera Lucia Xavier Pinto Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte
  • Camila Vanessa da Silva Moreira Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Nort
  • Ingrid Wilza Leal Bezerra Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte
  • Nila Patrícia Freire Pequeno Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-12902014000400014

Abstract

Reflection, along with the working class, on health-related issues at the workplace, aiming at criticality and actions that result in facing its problems, is a significant instrument to change reality. The purpose of this exploratory research is identifying relevant elements with regard to Arendt’s concepts (labor, work, and action) observed in the discourse of workers from the transportation sector participating in a university outreach project. The approach is qualitative and the methodology is autobiographical account. Workers’ histories were recorded on DVD and then transcribed. For the analysis, we chose to define a priori categories (labor, work, and action), since the theoretical framework was Hannah Arendt’s work. As a result, we found: food insecurity, chronic noncommunicable diseases related to the concept of labor; ergonomic hazards and psychic disorders related to work; and collective participation and digital inclusion as elements of action. It was concluded that knowing, understanding, and discussing these three categories in order to increase the reflection on occupational health may be important, since all of them were expressed in life accounts, showing their permanence and relevance in the history of everybody and each one.

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Published

2014-12-01

Issue

Section

Original research articles

How to Cite

Pinto, V. L. X., Moreira, C. V. da S., Bezerra, I. W. L., & Pequeno, N. P. F. (2014). Labor, work, and action: relevant elements regarding Arendt’s concepts in autobiographical reports of workers from the transportation sector . Saúde E Sociedade, 23(4), 1288-1300. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-12902014000400014