Era uma vez: masculinidades negras e literatura infantojuvenil

Abstract

This research focuses on analyzing the construction of Black masculinity in literary works aimed at children and young readers. The general objective is to understand the possible contributions of children's literature to the construction of Black boys’ masculinities through the analysis of two works: O aniversário do João by Renato Noguera and O black power de Akin by Kiusam de Oliveira. The specific objectives include: reflecting on the intersections of race and gender and their consequences for Black boys; highlighting the need to address this topic in children’s literature; and identifying the perceptions of masculinities present in the works analyzed. The investigation recognizes that discourses on masculinity are historically produced and shaped by multiple social markers. It draws on the work of authors such as bell hooks (2004; 2021; 2022), Joan Scott (1995), Osmundo Pinho (2004), Deivison Nkosi (2014), Maffesoli (1996), Woodward (2017), Fanon (2008), among others, who discuss the intersections between gender, race, identity, and power. The research is grounded in the understanding that children's experiences are traversed by symbolic disputes that directly impact the subjective formation of Black boys. Anchored in hermeneutic phenomenology, this is a qualitative study in the field of education. For the analysis, documentary research procedures were employed, and the results were developed based on Discourse Analysis aligned with Interpretation Theory. The analysis made it possible to understand how the literary texts are used to convey meanings, construct and reflect social realities, and exert power. The study reveals that the historical processes of colonialism and racism have shaped not only racial identity but also gender norms, often imposing images of hypermasculinity or marginalization on Black men. The dissertation also demonstrates that children’s literature can play a decisive role in constructing new representations of Black masculinities, breaking with historical stigmas and offering alternative narratives of affection, resistance, and belonging—possibilities of existence beyond violence and exclusion.