O ofício das rezadeiras: convergências e divergências entre o fazer nutricionista.

Abstract

The rezadeiras are present throughout the Brazilian territory and are defined as "a woman, usually elderly, who has" healing powers "by means of blessings" (CASCUDO, 2004). They use oral ancestral wisdom by triggering knowledge originated from syncretism between Catholic, African and indigenous beliefs, supported by the use of medicinal plants in order to restore the health of their patients. Such healing practices compete in a sense with other forms of treatment from official medicine, especially nutritionist practices. It is understood to be a nutritionist, the set of methods and behaviors taken by the nutritionist in the dilemmas related to food and health of specific social and cultural groups (RECINE, 2013). In this sense, it is possible to diverge and to converge the traditional practices of curing exerted by the rezadeiras with the theoretical principles of doing dietician. Thus, this study had as objective to know the convergences and divergences of the nutritionist doing in relation to the use of home remedies in the context of the office of the rezadeiras in the Municipality of Cuité-PB. The study was predominantly qualitative and based on the methodology of Historical and Dialectical Materialism (MHD), where the analysis took place through Fiorin's discourse analysis technique (2008), which included a sample unit of 12 participants, 8 of whom were rezadeiras and 4 nutritionists. Based on the data collected, it was possible to set up the empirical universe of the rezadeiras and nutritionists who work in the municipality of Cuité-PB and it was found that teas, prayers, lambedores, foods and recipes of other home remedies were indicated and taught by the rezadeiras to their customers. This fact diverges from the statements made by nutritionists who claim the lack of knowledge about the scientific knowledge of plants and herbs. Despite the divergences in these aspects, there are situations in which nutritionist practices converge with the traditional practices of healing of the mourners revealing in the data collected a certain recognition of the nutritionists in relation to the rezadeiras, which have also been recognized since the Alma Ata declaration of 1978 and currently by public policies such as the PNPIC that contribute to establish bridges between scientific and traditional knowledge. In this sense, it is extremely important the contribution of all those involved in the construction of viable ways that unite the two types of knowledge, 9 not neglecting the social and cultural dimensions that permeate the professional performance, contributing positively to the health of rezadeiras and their clients . . .