A partilha do leite: reciprocidade, circuitos alimentares e socialidade em uma comunidade rural de Minas Gerais

Abstract

This thesis is based on the ritual of milk donation on Good Friday in the rural community of Conceição do Formoso, a district in the municipality of Santos Dumont, MG. By addressing the milk donation circuit, I emphasize how the production of social and symbolic relationships, crucial for the construction and maintenance of bonds of trust and affection, is promoted through the circulation of this food. It is around milk that people gather, whether on their way to the fields, in conversations with the milkmen, or in activities involving food preparation in the kitchen. In this study, I adopted a qualitative methodological approach, aiming to understand in-depth and contextualize the milk donation circuit during Holy Week celebrations and its connection with the community's social, economic, and cultural dynamics. To collect the necessary data, I employed a variety of techniques, including informal conversations, participant and non-participant observation. The work is composed of three chapters that provide a historical overview of non-human milk consumption and its derivatives in the region, delving into the transformations that this food undergoes in the kitchens and how it circulates within the district. The research also examines the adversities I encountered while conducting fieldwork, influenced by the family relationships I have with the district's members.