Cidade, cultura e educação: o projeto de modernização conservadora da Igreja Católica, em Taubaté, em meados do século XX

Abstract

Present work aims to regard a discussion about the role exercised by Catholic Church (hierarchy and secularity) at configuration/conformation of cultural and educational fields in Taubaté city, Estado de São Paulo, in the 50's and 60's decades, last century. In fact this role reflects controversies and tensions inherent to growing hegemony process joined by literate elites sectors, as well as subjects and urban institutions that have unfolded, in the city, during those circunstances. 50's and 60's decades in the last century have made evident significant transformation in the city as a whole. Cultural and educational practices, allied to emergency of a new social and economic arder, outlined a new urban design. Debate of the "new city" has been present at municipal legislative, in secular and catholic printing press, as well as in teaching institutions. Culture, city and experience categories made up themes with the purpose of understanding complexity inherent to reality. On the track of E. P. Thompson we try to raise doubts to culture as a "conflicting elements arena". Therefore, the attention to fractures and opposition and the choice of a heterogeneous sources set that were appearing during the research and helping us in the understanding of the city in its multiple determinations have come. Thus we aim, through articulation of a set of evidences gathered in the experience obtained in files, interviews and analyses based on secondary sources, toI understand the "pulsating of the city". On it, there is presence of Chutch political ,and cultural strength, forging practices of conformationlreupdating with the purpose of consolidate catholic hegemony in the city heart. The research supports the thesis that Taubaté Catholic Church has built discourses and practices of configuration and conformation with the purpose of designing a conservative modemization project, aiding so the emergency of an urban catholic society