Uma cartilha sobre a pobreza e a desigualdade social: trabalhando a temática com os estudantes do ensino médio

Abstract

This work, developed during the Professional Master’s Program in Sociology (ProfSocio) at the Federal University of Ceará, with funding from Capes, aims to produce educational material in the format of a booklet. This pedagogical resource is intended to support high school students in developing a sociological perspective on the issues of poverty and social inequality. Throughout the process of creating the booklet, I seek to present some of the main authors who have studied poverty and inequality, highlighting their contributions to sociological knowledge. Whenever possible, I attempt to explain the concepts and definitions related to these themes through examples drawn from media and communication outlets. I also aim to provide a brief overview of Brazilian history, identifying moments of profound injustice and inequality in the formation of the nation, with particular emphasis on the struggles faced by the most vulnerable groups—especially the Black population—following the abolition of slavery. A key point of discussion in the booklet concerns Brazil after the promulgation of the 1988 Federal Constitution, which introduced significant political, economic, and social changes for disadvantaged populations, and opened the possibility of envisioning a new Brazil. This trajectory also includes the election of the country’s first working-class president from a poor background, who implemented policies that produced significant social change, most notably the Bolsa Família program. In addition to theoretical-conceptual content, historical perspectives, and statistical data, the material also provides suggestions for films and books that address the themes discussed in the booklet. These resources are intended to assist teachers and students in classroom activities, workshops, and other pedagogical practices. By engaging with the sociological concepts and definitions presented in this didactic material, readers are encouraged to reinterpret sociological themes, fostering new perspectives and potentially contributing to meaningful transformations in students’ realities. This work seeks to promote the processes of denaturalizing and critically recognizing poverty and social inequality as integral aspects of the everyday experiences of these social actors.