As representações simbólicas do sutiã para as discentes da Universidade Federal do Ceará

Abstract

It is known that clothing is a powerful instrument of study to understand the social context experienced by a society over time. Through clothing it is possible to trace revealing sociocultural factors about a particular social environment to which one intends to research. The apparel, emphasized through the visual language announced by individuals belonging to a given culture and/or society, is full of meanings and/or symbolisms consistent with their social reality. It should be noted that for the prevalence of these individuals in the social environment in which they are included, their discipline as to the expected rules and behaviours is necessary. Based on this perspective, this research sought to understand what meanings and/or symbolisms were added to the bra, over the years in Western society. To make it feasible, we delimited the research to understand the symbolic representations of the bra for female students of the Universidade Federal do Ceará. The specific objectives that guided this study were: to understand the historical context of the bra, even before its emergence; to apprehend symbolic representations illustrated between the bra and women throughout history until today; to punctuate changes that this clothing has acquired during the twentieth century; to discuss the following symbolic representations noted in the bra: femininity, sensuality, disciplining, comfort and discomfort; realize what symbolic representations the bra awakens in the female students of the research to understand the symbolic representations of the bra for female students of the Universidade Federal do Ceará; and, finally, understand what implications lead, or not, these women to wear the bra in their daily lives. It is noteworthy that the study is qualitative in nature, possessing exploratoryexplanatory character. We conducted bibliographic research relatively extensive, about the historical and social context of the bra, and a field research, along with the students in question. For data collection an online questionnaire was applied, in groups of social networks, containing open and closed questions about the respective theme. The results were extremely relevant to the research and validated the symbolic representations already predetermined in this study: femininity; sensuality; disciplining; comfort and discomfort. It is worth noting that the intimate fashion sector, once inserted in this contemporary western social conjunction, will be subject to all the codes and precepts undertaken there.