Paper short abstract:

Thinking about the construction of the representation of gender roles, this paper outlines the division of labor in the family in the Angolan context, questioning the difference of gender representation around the domestic work of children.

Paper long abstract:

Looking into my field work within transnational families between Angola and Portugal this paper is drawn on 42 in-depth interviews conducted with children, parents and caregivers, in the context of the project TCRAf-Eu. The discussion emphasizes the discourse of children in relation to their daily life, and the discourse of parents and caregivers regarding their childhood period.

Taking the performance of household chores by children as a starting point for thinking about the construction of the representation of gender roles, this paper outlines the division of labor in the family in the Angolan context, questioning the difference of gender representation around the domestic work of children. In Angolan society the way in which gender seems to be culturally embedded, especially in rural and traditional societies, point that gender roles are sharply creased by dividing tasks, being a way to keep the identity of the group.