Vida além-fronteiras: Gustavo Lessa em prol da circulação e apropriação de modelos pedagógicos (1923-1962)

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to interpret the ways in which the intellectual Gustavo Lessa (1888-1962) acted in favor of the dissemination of foreign educational models, practices and projects, contributing to the circulation and appropriation of the Scholasticist ideology in Brazil. Throughout his life, this health doctor and educator from Minas Gerais held prominent public positions in the areas of health, education and childcare and formed important relationships with other intellectuals such as Anísio Teixeira and Helena Antipoff. A great advocate of exchanges between countries, he undertook study trips to the United States and England, which resulted in comparative works published on the respective countries. His inclusion in important spaces and discussions meant that he was often referred to in studies of the History of Education, however, no works dedicated to investigating him specifically have been found to date. In the absence of a personal archive, I gathered together various sources that were scattered around, such as his autobiography, institutional documents, letters, books and periodicals. As I interrogate aspects of his career, I reflect on his (auto)biographical productions and the process of constituting his memory and forgetting. From the perspective of the Transnational History of Education, I investigate his travels, activities and networks in order to understand how he mobilized for the dissemination of renovationist ideas and appropriated foreign projects. This research aims to contribute to other studies in the field by shedding light on an important but little-explored subject, making it possible to broaden discussions about the New Education movement in Brazil.