PERCEPÇÃO DAS MULHERES IMIGRANTES HAITIANAS SOBRE CONCEPÇÃO DE CORPO, SAÚDE E CUIDADO

Abstract

The reception of Haitian immigrant women in Brazilian health services depends on knowledge about how they perceive the body, health and what they think about care. Objective: to identify the perception of Haitian women in terms of body, care and health. Method: Descriptive and qualitative research, from January to July 2017 in one southern city of Brazil, with the participation of 10 women. Foucault was used to perform the discourse analysis. Results: The age group prevailed between 24 and 45 years, eight women had children and five, the children were born in Brazil. During the interviews, the women wore colorful clothing characteristic of black culture and praised it, braiding their hair among themselves. When asked about the body, they pointed out what they liked about their own body, when asked about health they reported a link to the hospital. Regarding care, they reported that is established when they are able of taking care of themselves and the others to be well. Conclusions: Although these women demonstrated empowerment about themselves, their body and their black culture, they saw care as a feminine practice and Foucault’s optics helped to build the harmonization of theory with reality.