Entre a cidadania e a ciência: a geração de 94 e os sentidos da Sociologia escolar em seu retorno ao Colégio Pedro II (1993-2008)

Abstract

This paper discusses the teaching of Sociology in basic education, focusing on the return of the subject to the curriculum at Colégio Pedro II, a federal public educational institution in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The research seeks to understand the pedagogical meanings of school sociology, that is, the reasons and justifications for teaching and learning the subject in elementary school. This is done through the analysis of the representations of a group of CPII professors about the institution and their conceptions about the teaching of Sociology. The research subjects are referred to as the "94 generation". The nickname highlights the collective action of these social scientists in affirming a Sociology teaching model different from that previously expected by the institution. The research observes the period from 1993 to 2008, between, on the one hand, the extinction of the disciplines of Moral and Civic Education (EMC) and Social and Political Organization of Brazil (OSPB) by law 8.663/93 and the creation of the Department of Sociology at the CPII and, on the other hand, the enactment of Law 11.638/2008, which made teaching Sociology and Philosophy mandatory in secondary education, and the change of name of the discipline from "citizenship" to "Social Sciences" in elementar education. The results suggest that the pedagogical work of the Department of Sociology went through a transition process, abandoning a prescriptive model, based on the EMC and OSPB disciplines, and, instead, sought to be based on principles intrinsic to the scientific field of Social Sciences , such as scientific research, but also on socially relevant topics and broader educational objectives, such as Human Rights. The organizational structure of the school, divided into departments, was a positive factor for the pedagogical work, favoring the internal cohesion of the teachers. At the same time, training for a degree in social sciences stood out as a factor in the production of a common identity among teachers, enabling collective action in defense of Sociology and its development and recognition as a school subject. Although Sociology was consolidated at Colégio Pedro II, testimonies indicate that its status was still precarious and provisional compared to other disciplines. There are still difficulties in recognizing the scientific status of research in Sociology, perhaps because it is guided by a paradigm still derived from the natural sciences.