Coisa de favela

OBJECTIVE: Aiming to reflect on a research experience conducted between 2021 and 2022 and titled “Cultural strategies as alternatives for the social inclusion of vulnerable populations within public policies on mental health: A case study in the Manguinhos community,” this article analyzes the methodological pathways that supported the development of the project. In this article, we examine the research choices and detail the development of the mapping process of sociocultural experiences carried out in the Manguinhos favela complex (RJ). METHOD: By developing a co-participatory methodology together with researchers from the territory, the research team sought to interpret the mapped cultural actions as privileged devices for care, social inclusion, and the construction of rights. This article reflects on the impact of these strategies on community life, on modes of resistance and mental-health production, and on their importance in building practices of solidarity and citizenship through the protagonism of artists, producers, and cultural creators. RESULTS: The research resulted in closer engagement with cultural producers in Manguinhos through conversation circles and the creation of a catalog featuring 40 initiatives present in this territory. The mapping made it possible to learn what they do and how they do it, the political and social role of these cultural activities and groups, and how they affect the life of the community. CONCLUSION: We conclude that these initiatives are important devices for resident protagonism, the promotion of mental health, and the production of sociability networks, subjectivities, and citizenship

Citizenship · Community engagement · Conversation · Mental health · Sociocultural evolution · Solidarity · Health, Nursing, Elderly Care · Urban and sociocultural dynamics · Youth, Drugs, and Violence