Cristina Alves Duarte
39 years old · Cacém, Sintra municipality (Lisbon periphery)
Supermarket cashier (Continente)
Persona: Single Mother Low Income
Cristina Alves Duarte
Quick Profile
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Cristina Alves Duarte |
| Age | 39 |
| Gender | Female |
| Location | Cacém, Sintra municipality (Lisbon periphery) |
| Occupation | Supermarket cashier (Continente) |
| Education | 9th grade |
| Housing | Renting small apartment (€650/month, 60% of income) |
| Family | Single mother, two children (12 and 9), no child support |
| Voter Status | Portuguese citizen - can vote |
Background Narrative
Cristina got pregnant at 27 with a man who promised everything and delivered nothing. When she got pregnant again at 30, he disappeared—to Brazil, she heard, though no one knows for sure. She's raised Sara and Miguel alone for nine years, working full-time at Continente while her mother watches the kids.
Her routine is military: up at 5:30, prepare breakfast, drop kids at school, arrive by 8:00, work until 5:00 or 6:00 (whenever the shift ends), pick up kids, homework, dinner, bed, repeat. Weekends are cleaning, shopping, catching up on sleep. There's no time for herself, no money for extras, no partner to share the load.
She earns €820/month—minimum wage, now risen to what seemed like a good salary ten years ago. Rent takes €650. The math doesn't work, but somehow she makes it work—her mother helps with food, she knows every discount, she hasn't bought clothes for herself in three years.
Her ex owes €15,000 in child support. The courts move slowly. Brazil doesn't cooperate. Meanwhile, she pays for everything alone.
Economic Situation
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Income level | Low (€820/month + €150 family support) |
| Income source | Minimum wage employment |
| Financial stress | Severe |
| Housing cost burden | 67% of income |
| Economic trajectory | Trapped—can't earn more, can't spend less |
Values Profile (Schwartz Framework)
Higher-Order Values
| Dimension | Rating | Expression |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Transcendence | 4 | Everything for her children; selfless by necessity |
| Self-Enhancement | 2 | Has given up on advancement for herself |
| Openness to Change | 2 | Too tired for change; just needs stability |
| Conservation | 4 | Security paramount; any stability is precious |
Specific Values (Top 3 priorities)
- Security: Stability for her children—housing, school, safety
- Benevolence: Her children are everything; sacrifices all for them
- Conformity: Follows rules, works hard, expects fairness
Moral Politics Frame (Lakoff)
Primary frame: Nurturant Parent (exhausted variant)
Expression: Cristina believes society should support families, especially vulnerable ones. She's not asking for handouts—she works full-time—but the system should make it possible to raise children without drowning. It doesn't.
Information Ecosystem
| Source Type | Specific Sources | Trust Level |
|---|---|---|
| TV | SIC, TVI (background while doing chores) | Medium |
| Online | Facebook (rarely), WhatsApp | Medium |
| Social Media | WhatsApp (family, school parents) | High |
| None | N/A | |
| Community | Mother, coworkers, school parents | Very High |
Media consumption pattern: No time for news. Gets information through WhatsApp with other mothers. TV on in background. Focused entirely on logistics, not politics.
Political Profile
Voting History
| Election | Vote | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Legislative | PS | "Minimum wage increase" |
| 2022 Legislative | PS | "Slightly better for families" |
| 2021 Presidential | Didn't vote | "Couldn't get time off" |
| Historical pattern | Low engagement, PS when votes |
Political Identity
- Left-Right self-placement: "Don't know, don't care about politics"
- Party identification: None—just needs help with bills
- Political engagement: Very Low—survival takes all energy
2026 Presidential Inclination
- Current leaning: Will probably not vote (can't take time)
- Certainty: Likely abstain
- Key deciding factors: If she votes—whoever helps families
Top Concerns (Ranked)
- Rent/housing: "€650 for this apartment is killing me. One rent increase and we're homeless."
- Children's needs: "Sara needs braces. Miguel needs tutoring. I can't afford either."
- No child support: "€15,000 owed, zero received. The system doesn't work."
- Exhaustion: "I'm 39 and feel 60. When do I get to rest?"
- Children's future: "Will they end up like me? Or worse?"
Hopes
For herself:
"I just want to stop worrying. One month without calculating if I can afford food. One week off. A day when nothing breaks."
For Portugal:
"A country where working full-time means you can raise your kids without drowning. Where child support gets enforced. Where rent doesn't eat everything."
For her children:
"I want them to go to university. Have choices. Never feel this desperate. Never know how close we came to losing everything."
Fears
Personal fears:
"Losing the apartment. Getting sick and not being able to work. The kids knowing how bad things really are."
Fears for Portugal:
"That it gets worse. That rent keeps rising. That there's no safety net when I fall."
Deepest fear (often unspoken):
"That I'm failing them. That despite everything, I'm not enough. That they'll remember childhood as poverty and struggle."
"In Their Own Voice"
How she'd describe Portugal today:
"I work 40 hours a week at minimum wage, and 67% goes to rent. I don't ask for luxury—just to raise my kids without constant fear. But landlords can charge whatever they want, my ex pays nothing, and the state says 'be patient.' Patient? I've been patient for nine years."
What she'd say to someone who disagrees with her politically:
"I don't have time for politics. I have two kids, one job, and not enough money. If you want my vote, make rent possible and enforce child support. Everything else is noise."
Her message to politicians:
"You talk about families. Come live on €820 with two children and €650 rent. Then tell me about families. Make the father pay what he owes. Cap the rent. Let me breathe."
Scenario Response Predictions
| Candidate | Predicted Response | Key Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Ventura | Neutral | "Too aggressive; doesn't talk about my problems" |
| Gouveia e Melo | Neutral | "Don't know him" |
| Marques Mendes | Neutral | "Don't know him" |
| Seguro | Slightly Positive | "PS raised minimum wage" |
| Catarina Martins | Slightly Positive | "She talks about housing" |
| Cotrim Figueiredo | Negative | "Probably wants to cut support" |
| António Filipe | Slightly Positive | "Says wage things" |
Notes for Scenario Development
- Daily survival as narrative focus
- Absent father as unresolved injustice
- Mother as critical support system
- Children as both motivation and weight
- Could interact with: coworkers, school parents, landlord, social services
- In "Day in the Future" vignettes: morning routine, supermarket shifts, helping with homework exhausted, budget calculations