VIVENCIANDO A RUA: UMA CONTRIBUIÇÃO ETNOGRÁFICA

Abstract

In this article we present the pertinence of the qualitative research in health. We intend to demonstrate how the ethnographic technique allows us to understand the lifestyle of men and women living on and off the streets in the big cities. We believe that through ethnography we can understand the history of life, daily life, health demands and desired treatments. This population is permeated by extreme poverty, precariousness and insalubrity of the streets, becoming a challenge for educators, health professionals and the general concepts of the Unified Health System, such as Universality, Integrality and Equity. Our field of research is the public places, squares, marquees and devices of social assistance and health in São Paulo.