Let's go to the bar for a drink: new meanings of prostitution spaces and sociability in the city of Itabaiana- PB

Abstract

During the 20th century, the city of Itabaiana, located in the interior of Paraíba, developed an intense trade with the exploitation of female bodies, which, in most cases, were considered commodities and objects of pleasure. These women, who lived in extreme poverty or were seduced and abandoned by corruptors, saw prostitution as the only means of survival in a patriarchal, sexist and exclusionary society. A century later, Itabaiana is still considered a city suitable for male pleasures, since there are still “barbarés” – cabarets disguised as bars – where women turn to prostitution as a means of survival. Instead of accepting to be treated as objects, they make profits and try to obtain social and economic autonomy. This work, using the methodology of oral history and ethnography, tells the life stories of these professionals. Through listening and observation, we will address the sociability they face, including their experiences in combating gender-based violence that still exists in society.