Desenvolvimento periférico: história oral de vida do trabalho infantil na Feira Central de Campina Grande nas décadas de 1960 e 1970

Abstract

It is clear that child labor is one of the most controversial issues concerning work conception. On the one hand, it sets educational and socializing elements, but on the other hand, it is established as illicit and condition of social and personal underdevelopment by laws and regulations to the minimum legal age of employment. The industry has modified the learning and professional training relations extremely when relegating children and young people in repetitive and alienated movements to the large-scale production chain. In this way, movements for protection and regulation of industrial workers began to emerge globally, in spite of arriving in Brazil belatedly. To adress the child labor on fairs in view of historical and economic importance for the development of Campina Grande, through the migration process to Agreste marked by family and community relations. It was conducted the qualitative approach of oral history as well as an ethnographic research method, focused on the fair dealers from the Central Fair of Campina Grande. Interviews were carried out according to the oral history method by stimulating the respondent to speak freely and descriptively from memory-related to their immersion on the fairs. Moreover, the bibliographic and documentary research was based on scientific papers; thesis; books; and, websites regarding the issue. When using foreign models and trying to replicate development processes from others, Brazil has relegated their own characteristics of territorial settlement. For instance, the role of fairs and how they built inland Brazil has been set aside of importance. Besides, what workforce formed the fairs, and what social values are related to their process, since social actors who worked during childhood at the fairs did not see exploitation, but a family division of activities, education, and citizenship. It should be highlighted that there was no pretense of exhausting the topic, either making judgments about any law or condition found on the fairs. It was intended to contribute to the proposed topic, bringing a new approach to child labor at fairs, giving voice to the real protagonists.