Racial distinction: reflections on paid domestic work in Brazil

• Autores: Mello, Luciana, Garcia de Mello, Luciana, Marques Vieira, Aparício, Barbosa Oliveira, Cyntia
• Formato: artículo
• Fecha de Publicación: 2026
• Institución: Universidad Científica del Sur
• Repositorio: Revistas - Universidad Científica del Sur
• Lenguaje: español; portugués
• OAI Identifier: oai:revistas.cientifica.edu.pe:article/2954
• Enlace del recurso: https://revistas.cientifica.edu.pe/index.php/desdeelsur/article/view/2954
• Nivel de acceso: acceso abierto
• Materia: Distinción; diferencias raciales; habitus racial; trabajo doméstico; clases sociales; Distinction; racial difference; racial habitus; domestic work; social classes; Distinção; diferença racial; trabalho doméstico; classes sociais

This article proposes a reinterpretation of the concept of social distinction, fundamental to Pierre Bourdieu's theory of social classes, in order to analyse racial inequalities in Brazil. It argues that, in the context of postcolonial societies, race is not only a «secondary characteristic» in the social hierarchy, but a structuring principle that interferes in the construction of habitus. It seeks to discuss the existence of a racial habitus and its manifestation in domestic work. The methodology uses content analysis of stories related to the experiences of workers recorded in the book Eu, empregada doméstica (Rara, 2019). Interactions in domestic work transcend class domination, translating into practices of symbolic demarcation and the construction of ontological differences. Racial difference perpetuates inequalities and constructs the racialised subject as a «non-being»/«non-human», a dimension that requires going beyond Bourdieu’s discussion.