A infância negada : uma análise acerca do trabalho infantil nas feiras livres de Aracaju/ SE

Abstract

This monograph presents the results of a research study whose object of investigation is “child labor in open-air markets in the municipality of Aracaju, SE.” The general objective of the investigation was “to analyze the reality of child labor in open-air markets in Aracaju, SE, and the strategies adopted by the city’s social assistance network to confront it.” The specific objectives include: contextualizing the economic, social, political, and cultural origins of child labor in Brazilian social formation and its contemporary configuration; identifying the international and national legal framework for addressing child labor; describing the development of open-air markets in Brazilian society and their evolution in the city of Aracaju, SE; and characterizing the social assistance services and public policies aimed at combating child labor in the municipality of Aracaju, SE. This research is grounded in historical and dialectical materialism as its methodological framework, with an exploratory character and based on a quantitative-qualitative approach. The methodological procedures were structured as bibliographic and documentary research. The bibliographic research drew on scientific articles, conference proceedings, journals, dissertations, theses, and scientific websites related to the topic. Documentary research was conducted by collecting data on the occurrence of child labor and information on the policies and programs of Aracaju’s social assistance network, based on official public documents from the government and national institutes that publish key social and economic indicators, such as the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), as well as news reports and articles available on electronic websites. The collected data cover the period from 2016 to 2024. The results show that child labor is an issue with historical roots in Brazilian society that persists in contemporary times and occurs in various settings throughout the country, including open-air markets. Consequently, it results in the denial of a full experience of childhood.