My First Mind Map
da Jenny Esposito
1. Humor is an outlet that can be utilized in regards to matters that are usually stifled.
2. Humor, depending on context, can be seen as a "weapon of the weak" or a tool of a powerful person.
3. If you are not used to a life of poverty, especially within these favelas, it would be hard to relate to the sense of humor of these women.
4. An outsider would certainly not understand the sense of humor that is found in the favela.
5. Laughter was something that could not be stifled during the researchers experiences in Brazil, even by the rigid power structures in place or the horrible situations going on.
5.1. For example, the family the researcher is visiting recently lost a family member, yet they still make light of the situation and joke about it.
6. The favelas in Brazil are shantytowns that are home to the countries poor, who feel alienated from outsiders in a country that has very unequal distribution of wealth.
6.1. Women form the "backbone" of the favelas, taking care of the many children, gathering to socialize in groups, and doing a lot of work both in and outside of the home.
7. The women of the favelas laugh despite their suffering, because of their suffering, or even a combination of both.
7.1. Laughter seems out of place in areas like shantytowns, where the poor conditions would make outsiders assume that everyone within the favelas are miserable and have let their circumstances defeat them.
7.2. Laughter is a form of protest against the powerful and elite.
8. Humor can arise out of the worst circumstances, as a defense mechanism for what is going on around you.
9. You have to learn to laugh at certain situations as to prevent yourself from going crazy or becoming desolate
9.1. Glorias small shack was overcrowded with 14 children.
10. Even jokes pertaining to murder and death (even the death of a child) aren't off limits to residents of the favela.
11. No means to change the situation they're forced with dealing with social stratification, poverty, racism, forced to experience harsh and painful conditions and have to find a way to relieve themselves from the reality of everyday life.
11.1. For Gloria and her family, and many others, laughing and storytelling is a way of displacing feelings of sadness and injustice into a lighthearted situation for their own sanity and survival.
12. Even the younger children have a sick sense of humor because they lost their innocence young.
13. In Brazil, people are uncomfortable speaking about race and racism
13.1. Never had any civil rights movements such as the case with America and MLK
14. Poverty in Brazil is seen as a class problem, not a race problem.
15. Glorias children do not see the importance of school and instead think they're better off working and earning money to help out
15.1. Hard to find good working class jobs with good pay because of racism and classism
15.2. Afro-Brazilian women get the lowest pay
16. Only highly politicized people can speak openly about their race without feeling the shame attached to blackness
17. Women often work 14-15 hour days, which is double the hours typical American women work a day.
17.1. Also takes about two hours or so to travel back and forth
17.1.1. Gloria travels each day of the week to different homes and do heavy duty cleaning