A educação como processo transformador em bairros periféricos: uma análise freireana do trabalho da Irmã Dolores no Quarentenário - SV

Abstract

This dissertation is the result of research completed in the Master's Program in Education at the Catholic University of Santos (UNISANTOS) and aimed to investigate the presence and materialization of the elements of Paulo Freire's Critical Pedagogy in the pedagogical proposals developed by Sister Maria Dolores in the Quarentenário neighborhood, located on the outskirts of the municipality of São Vicente. The central question that guided the study was: what are the elements of Paulo Freire's Critical Pedagogy and how do they manifest themselves in the pedagogical practices developed by Sister Dolores in the Quarentenário neighborhood? Based on this problem, the research sought to identify and analyze the elements of Critical Pedagogy present in Sister Dolores' educational practices, as well as to understand the territory of Quarentenário as a possible "educating neighborhood," based on the educational, social, and community initiatives developed. Furthermore, the perceptions of former students and individuals involved in the educational projects were analyzed, considering the impacts of these actions on their personal, educational, and social trajectories. The theoretical framework was primarily based on the works of Paulo Freire, such as *Pedagogy of the Oppressed* and *Pedagogy of Hope*, which conceive of education as a practice of freedom, dialogue, and critical awareness, and on the studies of Miguel Arroyo, which problematize education in peripheral contexts and relate it to the struggle for rights, social justice, and human dignity. The concepts of Critical Pedagogy and the "educating neighborhood" constituted the central axes of the theoretical and empirical analysis. The methodology adopted was a qualitative approach, based on bibliographic and documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with individuals who experienced the educational practices developed by Sister Dolores. This study was guided by a critical-humanist perspective, inspired by Paulo Freire, and a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach, following the contributions of Franco and Ghedin, allowing for a deeper understanding of the experiences and meanings attributed by the participants. Data analysis was performed using the Thematic Content Analysis technique, proposed by Bardin. The results showed that the educational practices developed by Sister Dolores incorporated central elements of Critical Pedagogy, such as dialogue, the valuing of popular knowledge, education as a political practice, and the formation of critical consciousness. It was also found that the Quarentenário neighborhood constituted an expanded educational space, in which education went beyond the limits of formal schooling and was articulated with community, social, and collective organization actions. However, the research also revealed limitations and contradictions in these experiences, especially regarding the absence of structural public policies and the dependence on individual leadership. It is concluded that the educational work developed by Sister Dolores in the Quarentenário neighborhood constitutes a significant experience of critical education in a peripheral context, reaffirming the relevance of Paulo Freire's thought and the importance of Critical Pedagogy as an instrument of resistance, human formation, and the struggle for social justice.