Entrelaçando caminhos: ações educativas da Associação de Proteção a Menores Abandonados São José (1949-1973)

Abstract

This research study focuses on the São José Association for the Protection of Abandoned Minors (APMASJ), founded on March 19, 1949, in Maruim, Sergipe, Brazil, which sheltered poor children from the age of 6 and female adolescents from the age of 14, all from poor families. The general objective is to understand the educational actions developed by this Association during the period of 1949-1973, highlighting the role of the institution in relation to the target groups. Based on this general objective, the following specific objectives were outlined: to analyze the historical context and initial objectives of APMASJ, focusing on its two educational actions aimed at poor children and adolescents in Maruim; to identify the participation of the Catholic Church and its impact on the institution's practices and guidelines; to investigate the socioeconomic profile of children assisted by the institution, through the analysis of the students' files; and to examine the action promoted by the APMASJ rural home economics preparatory course. The time frame of this research begins in 1949, with the founding of the institution, and ends in 1973, with the departure of the sacramentine nuns, causing a change in its administrative structure. The research dialogues with studies on institutions dedicated to assisting disadvantaged minors in Sergipe, referencing authors such as Bispo (2007), Bonifácio (2011), Nery (2019) and Conceição (2007); as well as the contributions from Conceição (2015), Lima (2021), Melo and Conceição (2021), and Almeida (2021) regarding the profile of students. The survey included the exploration of contemporary institutions, such as the Oratório Festivo São João Bosco, the Patronato Agrícola São Maurício and the Cidade de Menores “Getúlio Vargas”. Methodologically, the research involved a bibliographic review of the theme and a documentary research, with written, iconographic and oral sources. The documentation was collected from the following archives: Escola Municipal São José in Maruim; Matriz Nosso Senhor Bom Jesus dos Passos in Maruim; and Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Sergipe, Campus São Cristóvão. The research also used oral memories of seven former students and three former employees, analyzed based on Roger Chartier's concept of representation (1991, 2002, 2010). The results showed that APMASJ aimed to elevate the social position of poor children and establish educational ideals, fitting into the philanthropic-scientific model of the 20th century, which combined social assistance and moralizing education (Marcílio, 2019; Sanglard, 2014). Based on Pierre Bourdieu (1998, 2007, 2007b), the research found that the Dantas family reproduced the social hierarchy under a philanthropic and entrepreneurial guise, converting cultural capital into symbolic power. The Catholic Church influenced the institution, shaping its pedagogical practices and institutional guidelines. An analysis of student records revealed that 69.9% of the children were from Maruim, 86.14% were mixed race or black, and 100% belonged to poor families, reflecting the socioeconomic and ethnic-racial dynamics of the region. Between 1956 and 1959, 99.43% of the assisted subjects were female, a tendency attributed to the offering of a preparatory course in rural domestic economics. Analysis of the educational practices of the São José rural domestic economics center showed that the curricular structure reinforced predefined social roles. The study reveals the appropriation, by the public served, of actions promoted by the institution as an opportunity for schooling and social advancement, in addition to contributing to the understanding of intersections between education and welfare, fostering new discussions on the history of education.