Resilience and Empowerment on the Margins of Capitalism

A Study on the Brazilian Family Economy Based on the Documentary “Waiting for the Carnival’

Abstract

https://doi.org/10.1590/2179-8966/2025/87447 

Resilience and empowerment are two significant constructs that can help understand the economic situation in which Brazilian families operate, especially in the context of crises and systemic disparities. Therefore, the objective of this work is to understand how these constructs emerge in the domestic economy of Brazil, using the documentary Estou me guardando para quando o Carnaval chegar as a case study. Through a qualitative and inductive approach, we seek to uncover the strategies and mechanisms of empowerment and resilience that emerge in the course of families' daily lives. Indeed, the results validate that families are actively engaged in innovative and collaborative practices as a strategy to withstand adversities and, consequently, gain empowerment. The final focus is is the emphasis on the need for public policies that encourage socioeconomic development.