Cozinha e tempo: uma análise fenomenológica-existencial da saúde de trabalhadores (as) de cozinhas profissionais

Abstract

Existential Phenomenology understands the human being as a being-in-the-world, that is, a being that unfolds within a temporal horizon, always existing in relation and projecting and understanding itself based on its possibilities and openness to the world. This way of thinking invites us to understand health beyond the mere absence of disease, grasping it as a lived experience — a singular way of being-in-the-world in which the subject perceives themself in constant openness, possibility, and the ongoing construction of meaning. Within this horizon, the correlation between health and work considers how work permeates the concrete and singular existence of the subject, not merely as a functional or productive activity, but as a space of realization, expression, and constitution of being. The professional kitchen environment, increasingly highlighted in the media, has placed the professional chef in the spotlight. This qualitative research aimed to investigate the health of cooks working in high-end gastronomy kitchens. For this purpose, reflective interviews were conducted with four professionals. The hermeneutic analysis revealed the connections between the fast-paced rhythm of kitchens and the equally accelerated bodies of the workers. The pressure to deliver high-quality outcomes in the shortest possible time demands efficient bodies under constant strain. Additionally, interpersonal relationships in the workplace emerged as significant sources of suffering, especially due to the permissiveness of abusive practices. On the other hand, a central aspect that emerged was the deep sense of meaning attributed to the profession, as an authentic possibility of being for the interviewees. The results indicate that although working in the kitchen is, for many chefs, a choice driven by desire, passion, and the recognition of profound meaning in their craft, it also carries challenges that cannot be overlooked. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a careful and transformative gaze that acknowledges the importance of preserving not only productivity but, above all, the well-being, equality of conditions, and the very possibility of being of those who make haute cuisine possible