Fortalecendo identidades: programa de intervenções em socialização étnico-racial para crianças e adolescentes

Abstract

Brazilian society is deeply rooted in historical racial inequalities that permeate various aspects of social, political, and economic life. This reality manifests within educational institutions, shaping relationships, access to opportunities, and the school experiences of different racial groups across the country. Racism in schools not only causes immediate harm through prejudice and discrimination but also has long-term impacts on the identity and self-esteem of Black children, while simultaneously reinforcing feelings of superiority among white children. In this context, the field of Social Psychology of Racism is called upon to study and address the development of ethnic-racial identity, given its critical role in psychological well-being, encompassing self-esteem, self-concept, and a sense of belonging. The primary goal of this dissertation is to investigate whether an intervention program focused on ethnic-racial socialization can effect changes in children’s ethnic-racial identity, group belonging, selfesteem, and whether such interventions reduce prejudice among all children involved. The study was conducted with Black and white children aged 9 to 12 from two public schools in the state of Sergipe, Brazil. To achieve these objectives, several instruments were used: ethnicracial self-identification, a measure of ethnic-racial identity, a self-esteem scale, and a prejudice assessment, all applied before and after the intervention program. The dissertation is organized into five chapters. Chapter 1 provides a theoretical exploration, grounded in the principles of Social Identity Theory, examining how a racially unequal society shapes the construction of ethnic-racial identities and the impacts of this process on the self-esteem of school-aged children. Chapter 2 reviews ethnic-racial socialization interventions conducted in Brazilian schools, aiming to strengthen ethnic-racial identities and reduce racism. Through an integrative literature review, 15 school-based interventions were analyzed. The findings reveal that, while some initiatives exist, most lack rigorous evaluation of their outcomes. Chapter 3 presents Study 1, which investigated children’s ethnic-racial socialization processes, focusing on how messages about racial issues, inequality in Brazil, and learning about the cultures and social issues of various ethnic-racial groups are communicated by parents, teachers, and peers. The results showed that, overall, children received minimal ethnic-racial socialization, with "silence" being the predominant form of messaging. Chapter 4 outlines the development, implementation, and evaluation of an ethnic-racial socialization intervention program consisting of six activities aimed at strengthening identities and reducing prejudice among children and adolescents. The program was well-received, with students actively engaging and demonstrating an understanding of its objectives, as well as enthusiasm throughout the activities. Finally, Chapter 5 examines the impact of these interventions on ethnic-racial identity formation, self-esteem, and prejudice reduction among children. The results revealed significant improvements in variables such as ethnic-racial identity, perceived social value of ethnic-racial groups, and reduced prejudice following participation in the intervention program. These findings highlight the effectiveness of the interventions in fostering positive intergroup attitudes among children. This dissertation offers valuable theoretical, methodological, and practical contributions to the field of ethnic-racial socialization, identity development, and the fight against racism in schools.