Mediador intelectual Jerônimo Vingt-un Rosado Maia: “um feiticeiro das letras” a contribuir com a história e a memória da educação no “país de Mossoró” (1920-2005)

Abstract

The present research, entitled “The Intellectual Mediator Jerônimo Vingt-Un Rosado Maia “A Sorcerer of Letter”. Contributing to the History and Memory of Education in the “Country of Mossoró” (1920–2005)”, is situated within a temporal scope focused on the 20th century, with emphasis on the period between 1901 and 2000. The guiding research question is: "In what ways did the trajectory of Jerônimo Vingt-Un Rosado Maia, as an intellectual mediator, contribute as a guardian to the preservation of the history and memory of education in the so-called “Country of Mossoró”? The general objective of the study is to analyze the contributions of Jerônimo Vingt-Un Rosado Maia as an intellectual mediator to the history and memory of education and culture in the “Country of Mossoró.” The specific objectives are: (i) To reinterpret the life and intellectual trajectory of Jerônimo Vingt-Un Rosado Maia as a mediator of institutions related to education, culture, health, and entrepreneurship in Mossoró/RN; (ii) To identify the traces and marks of Jerônimo Vingt-Un Rosado Maia’s contributions to the memory of the History of Education in the “Country of Mossoró”; (iii) To document the paths taken by Jerônimo Vingt-Un Rosado Maia as a guardian of Mossoró/RN. s memory and literate culture, highlighting the city’s intellectual spirit. This study is grounded in the field of the History of Education, positioned within core investigations concerning subject formation, and employs a qualitative/quantitative methodology with a biographical character. Data collection involved the use of books, pamphlets, newspapers, and various documents, as well as interviews and conversations with family members and individuals who were part of Jerônimo Vingt-Un Rosado Maia’s life journey, in addition to residents of Mossoró who followed his path as a book collector and lover of the city, especially through the Coleção Mossoroense. The data analysis is anchored in the theoretical frameworks of local, national, and international authors such as Manguel (2021), Gomes (2016), Dosse (2015), and Michel Foucault (2007). The sources that provided substance to the research include works by Almir Nogueira da Costa (2012), Ari Andrade (2021), Câmara Cascudo, Nascimento (2017), Raimundo Soares de Brito (2020), among others. Data were analyzed based on interviews and bibliographic sources. The final considerations reveal that the contributions uncovered throughout the research were essential for recognizing Jerônimo Vingt-Un Rosado Maia as a guardian of the history and memory of education — a true “Sorcerer of Letters” in the “Country of Mossoró.”