Práticas Amorosas de Mulheres das Camadas Populares em Belém (1889/1990)

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the social representations of women sexual practices in Belem (1889/1900) as crime on a socially established discourse. As specific objectives we identified practical discourses on women's love in Belem in relation to gender. We analyzed gender relations outlined in the practices of these kinds of women of the popular strata of Belem who had their sexual relationship apart from the society’s thinking established at that time. The theoretical and methodological approaching of the researching was based on gender studies in historiography and in feminist theories, developed under several disciplines that have contributed to reflect on the object of this researching. The sources used were the newspapers published in the period: the “Correio Paraense”, “Diário de Notícias”, “A República”, all of them available at the Public, Library - Arthur Vianna (CENTUR), The Crime Processes available on Amazon and Memory Center Public File in the State of Pará, the autos of the Colombian Police, the Code of Posture of Municipal Intendancy, the Criminal Code, and the scientific literature written by four specific authors: Louis Agassis and Elizabeth Agassis , Raimundo Nina Rodrigues and José Veríssimo. The documents are also available in the Public Archive of the State of Pará. The “amasiamentos” of women of popular classes were often only possible resources for the development of their couple relationship and for the establishment of a family; even for the 19th century elites these families represented the largescale of disorder or an unregulated sexuality. The requirements of institutional marriage arranged by political, legal and religious powers it widespread and it did not prevent women from popular classes to have their sexuality or partner exchanging, have children, even though considered illegitimate and to develop their daily norms of bourgeois codes or having a dialogue with them.