Paula Purim ManfrediniGraduate Student
My academic work focuses on two main areas: the History of Health and the History of Brazil, particularly emphasizing gender. Growing up in Brazil inspired my interests as I became aware of my country’s unique challenges and historical complexities.
During my undergraduate studies, I explored how sanitary policies influenced Rio de Janeiro’s urban development. My research analyzed how these policies targeted public health crisis and transformed the city’s physical and social structures. In my master’s thesis, I focused on childhood nutrition policies during the Vargas Era (1930 - 1945). I examined how the government and medical professionals worked together to promote specific feeding practices for children, framing these efforts as part of a broader nationalist agenda.
This work led me to investigate the evolving relationship between doctors and women in 20th-century Brazil. I became particularly interested in how medical professionals shaped women’s roles, especially as mothers, and how these dynamics reflected broader societal expectations. This focus has become central to my PhD research, where I continue to explore the intersection of gender and health in historical contexts.
While I am broadly interested in health-related topics in Latin America, my recent work has centered on the dietary habits of the working class in 1920s São Paulo. I analyze how immigration shaped food choices and access to nutrition. Moving forward, I plan to expand this research to examine women specifically, looking at how pregnancy and motherhood influenced their eating habits. I am particularly drawn to understanding the tension between individual decisions and the external pressures of government policies designed to regulate women’s behavior through public health initiatives.
Education
- B.A. Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná
- M.A. Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná
Research Interests
- History of Brazil
- Gender and Health
Faculty Advisors
Jeffrey Lesser
Thomas D. Rogers
Kylie M. Smith
