Notes on Occupational Health, gender, and race in a postgraduate course: experience report

Abstract

The race category is not part of the tradition of scientific production in Occupational Health (OH) in Brazil. In  general, studies of ethnic-racial relations and work refer to  barriers to accessing the labor/employment market and  career advancement, and discriminatory and prejudiced  relationships and actions in work environments, most of  which come from the field of social sciences. Contributing  to this scenario is the fact that health information systems  have only recently been concerned with collecting and  qualifying racial data. Likewise, race still remains invisible  in OH training and stricto sensu postgraduate courses.  This experience report aims to present a reflection on the  recent inclusion of a class on social markers and work in a  public health postgraduate program, analyzing significant  aspects of teaching practice and the challenges of  incorporating race and other axes of power and  oppression into the debate in the field of OH. Faced with social inequalities and injustices in a structurally racist  society like Brazil, there is no way for OH to disregard racism in the production of knowledge about work and its  incorporation in the debate aimed at overcoming capitalism that exploits, sickens, and kills black workers.