Eyes that Condemn: A Study on Surveillance Networks on Black Women in Public SpacesintheCity of Maceió
Surveillance Mechanisms. Black Women. Control Mechanisms. Writing. Escrevivência.
The present study examined the surveillance and control mechanisms of black women in the city of Maceió/Alagoas. The aim was to understand surveillance carried out by public and private agents as a form of social control that perpetuates structural racism. The objective of this study was to present surveillance, whether formal or informal, as a racialized mechanism stemming from a colonial and slave-owning legacy. This perspective, therefore, considers the intersections among different social markers - such as gender, race, ethnicity, class, age, etc. Regarding the methodological aspects, it was a qualitative research that privileged participant observation, with field diary recording, and the concept of "escrevivência," following Conceição Evaristo, as both an analytical method and, more than that, as a diasporic phenomenon of writing. Additionally, this research underscores the need to decolonize academia and knowledge production, and it was not possible without my active involvement. Therefore, there was no intentional separation of my personal experiences from the production
of knowledge. For us, Black individuals, lived experiences are constitutive of our intellectual capacity.