Relações de gênero e de idade em discursos sobre sexualidade veiculados em livros didáticos brasileiros de Ciências Naturais

Abstract

This research belongs to the Núcleo de Estudos de Gênero, Raça e Idade (NEGRI), of the Master Degree of Social Psychology of University Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo. In the search for grasp the concepts of child/childhood in Brazil, we have developed surveys that analyze speeches by adults and for children, adolescents and adults, whose theme refers to childhood, in various media outlets. Our research is focused on the persuit of understanding gender inequality, race and age and are interested apprehend the ways in which symbolic forms intersect with relations of power. We understand gender, sexuality and childhood as cultural, historical an social constructions. We understand that school is one of the most important institution which shares the socialization of the children with their families. Our perspective assumes that textbooks participate in the socialization of children and adults and adopt a socialization concept. In this study we find gender and age as a structural feature and analyze these power relations from discourses on sexuality produced and broadcast in 11 Brazilian textbooks of Natural Sciences intended, for Elementary School students (level II) . These books were published between 2000 and 2010, estimated by the National Fund Development of Education, under the National Textbook Program. This research is supported by the ideology theory of John B. Thompson, by gender and childhood studies. Gender studies have contributed to the questioning of rigid social standards prevailing in our society and refers to interpretations of knowledge and forms of social organization that builds and produce the concepts of male and female in each particular historical juncture. The assumptions of the studies on childhood, based on the conception of children as subjects of rights, social actor active in the process of socialization and childhood as a permanent social group of society. We based our research on the methodological field, hermeneutics of depth defined by John B. Thompson (2009). The analysis confirmed the participation of textbooks to standardize gender and age. In general, in textbooks, gender and age have properties similar to those of public policy documents. It is confirmed through the analysis, the asymmetries of age as well as gender, color / ethnicity in discourses seized in the books analyzed.This is achieved by the elements that structure the content (images and text) and by universalizing ideological strategy, fragments, differentiates, rationalizes, euphemizes, disguise, and stigmatizes the supremacy historicizing adult, white and heterosexual. Between continuities and changes, even though a lot of tradition remains, we identify three booksthat promote discussions about gender and contribute to changes in these relations