Dialogic gatherings, a way of reading and live-writing the world (from women’s perspective)

methodological and conceptual notes from an outreach project with women in situations of social vulnerability

Abstract

This study presents results from the outreach project associated with the research study “Escrevivência of women: tracing paths in education, human rights, and public policies in Varginha/MG”, funded by The Research Support Foundation of the State of Minas Gerais and carried out by research group Gender for Non-Intolerance at the Federal University of Alfenas. Seeking to promote self-reflection among women experiencing social vulnerability and risk who were assisted by social welfare institutions in the town of Varginha, Minas Gerais, Brazil, the project offered cultural workshops grounded in the methodological use of dialogical gatherings and the concept of escrevivência. Through collective reflection and self-reflection developed during the dialogic discussion circles, the participating women produced a variety of texts expressing their feelings and perceptions regarding issues such as reproductive labor, gender stereotypes, and violence. The material production of their expressions (their escrevivências), through both speech and writing, legitimized them as producers of knowledge, challenging the logic of silencing that had historically shaped experiences and reconfiguring their social and affective positions. By sharing their narratives, the participants fostered mutual recognition, developed strategies of resistance, and constructed a shared memory.