Famílias na Amazônia: direito, políticas públicas e a dinâmica do afeto e do cuidado

Abstract

This research investigates the legal profile of families in the Amazon based on public policies from IBGE. The problem investigated is how family arrangements in the Amazon differ from traditional ones and are recognized by public entities. The objective is to analyze the process of formation of Amazonian families and compare them with other families from other Brazilian regions, as well as study the historical legitimization of these arrangements and their visibility in public policies. The methodology adopted is a qualitative content analysis, using the approach in Law and Public Policies (DPP), by integrating the study of law with the practice of public policies, systematizing their characteristics and effects. The structure of the work is divided into three main sections: the first addresses the historical evolution of family arrangements in Brazil and the Amazon, discussing the principle of affectivity and the duty of care from the 1988 Constitution; the second analyzes the role of the Brazilian State in protecting families, from the law and public policies approach; and the third analyzes IBGE data, from the Continuous Household Sample Survey (PNADC) and the discourses on Amazonian family arrangements. The main results indicate that family arrangements in the Amazon have unique socio-cultural and structural characteristics, often invisibilized by current public policies. Among these aspects, the centrality of affection and cooperation in care relationships, the prominent presence of women — especially grandmothers — as structuring figures of these arrangements, and the recurring practice of circulating children among different family nuclei as a strategy of survival and solidarity stand out. The integrated analysis of PNADC data, from the DPP approach, evidenced the absence of a legal-institutional design sensitive to Amazonian family plurality, as well as the disproportionate overload of reproductive and domestic work that falls on women. It is concluded that the legal recognition of these arrangements and the formulation of public policies that value care work, redistribute responsibilities, and respect local family models are fundamental steps to promote social justice, gender equity, and effectiveness of family policies in the region.