Transcendent feminism: the experiential practices of our grandmothers

Abstract

This article explores the feminist practices bequeathed by our grandmothers, through transcendence, even if in everyday life the word is not mentioned and/or known by the subjects, but which in its essence is present, as it is transmitted through advice, narratives, popular sayings, and lived experiences. It acquires a rational nature and was apprehended by the researchers in an organic way, incorporating them into consciousness as absolute truths in relation to feminist actions and practices. In the course of the research, concepts related to transcendence and inner access were explored, as addressed by authors such as Husserl (2006) and Stein (2003). The investigation was also based on studies on collective and individual memory, with references in Halbwachs (1990) and Bachelard (2008). Additionally, the approach entered the field of feminist geography in the Brazilian Amazon, using the contributions of authors such as Simonian (2001), Nascimento Silva (2000, 2004, 2011), and Dourado da Silva (2017, 2020). The method adopted is phenomenology, which seeks to understand the phenomenon itself, according to Stein's (2003) empathetic approach. The methodological procedures of the research included bibliographic analysis, interviews, and, above all, life reports, both collective and individual. Along this path, she delved into the exploration of the reports of the interviewees' own experiences, in which she revealed the great importance of these experiences in the formation of resilient women in the face of an oppressive patriarchal system, which pointed out that even in the face of confrontations, they managed to achieve female empowerment, which stands out in the following categories: fight against stereotypes and social expectations, focus on the education of children, resilience, and facing adversity.