Interracial dynamics in Brazil's classrooms : critical pedagogical shifts for the creation of an egalitarian social order through Law 10,639/03

Abstract

In 2003, Law 10,639/03 was passed through the Brazilian national legislature as an acknowledgement and proposed remedy to the Euro-centric Brazilian educational system. This Law came about as a result of federally mandated educational democratization and as a result of the actions of the Black movement in Brazil, which has continually proposed the creation of a non-racist educational system in that country. The proposal of this thesis is to explore the development of this policy in the context of the historical and institutionalized racial oppression in Brazil, and as an ideological and political victory of the Black movement, and to also explore the contents of the curriculum and its impact on the social and racial dynamic amongst students in the classroom. Also, this thesis will evaluate the effectiveness of the law, its enforcement, prospects for the future development of Law 10,639/03 in the Brazilian educational system and its societal impact.