Reprodução social e exploração: uma análise do trabalho invisível

Abstract

This research investigates the mechanisms of exploitation and oppression of the capitalist system through domestic labor, analyzing the intersections of gender, race, and class in the Brazilian context. The study examines how the modern state institutionalized patriarchy and perpetuates male domination, using repressive and ideological apparatuses to control female bodies and maintain structures of subordination. The research demonstrates that the sexual division of labor is not merely a functional organization but a mechanism of control and social hierarchy that intensified during processes of industrialization and capitalist consolidation.Historical analysis reveals how the "witch hunt" functioned as an instrument of state terrorism to exploit women's bodies and female reproductive capacity, while in the Brazilian colonial context, enslaved Black women experienced specific forms of exploitation that combined productive and reproductive dimensions simultaneously, which is why the analytical lens must be focused on this factor. The research shows that in contemporary Brazil, the work of social reproduction is predominantly carried out by Black women, who face a disproportionate burden of domestic and care labor. This reproductive overload results in significant physical and psychological illness, contributing to the development of mental health problems among women. The research concludes that domestic and care work, although essential for the reproduction of capitalist labor power, remains invisible and devalued, constituting a form of "domestic slavery" that perpetuates structural inequalities and impedes female autonomy.