Chapter 7: The Experiences of Mothers from the Railroad Suburb of Salvad or-Bahia: Conceptualizing a Semiotic Theory of Protection and Empowerment in Adverse Conditions

Some people manage to find something beautiful in living experiences of extreme suffering. In these cases, suffering is not experienced with complaint and revolt, but with openness to reality and the possibility of reconstructing one’s own life. The experience of pain in these situations is seen as recognition of the limits imposed by one’s personal characteristics. Such experiences here are sometimes construed as strengthening factors for the self, requiring the use of any available psychological resources as “protectors” against such suffering. These protective resources are psychological meanings that prevent the internalization of unwanted meanings and therefore allow us to succeed via maintaining our composure in the face of adverse conditions.