O ensino de sociologia em Sergipe: a cátedra do Colégio Atheneu Pedro II

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the process of introducing the teaching of sociology in Sergipe, focusing on the Atheneu Sergipense School from 1925 to 1942. The study examines the establishment of sociology as a teaching field in Sergipe, emphasizing the Rocha Vaz reform (1925), the adoption of the organizational and curricular model of Colégio Atheneu Pedro II, the competition for the sociology teaching position, and the teaching career of Florentino Menezes (1886–1959). In light of the sociology of curriculum debate, the object of study is framed within recurring themes in contemporary discussions of Brazilian sociology of curriculum, particularly the perspective of the New Sociology of Education (NSE) developed by Michael Young (2014). In parallel, the concepts of field and capital, as developed by Pierre Bourdieu (1930–2002), are applied in this study. The research hypothesis is that the inclusion of sociology in the basic education curriculum in the 1920s and its subsequent ―exclusion‖ in the following decade reflect the conflicts and disputes among educational forces in Brazil. By studying this process at Atheneu Sergipense, the research aims to identify the forces and interests at play in this educational context, which led to its inclusion in the curriculum for a brief period between 1925 and 1942, and later to its designation as an optional subject in secondary education from the 1940s, along with new configurations in technical teacher training courses.