História e memória das culturas infantis em Nova Araçá/RS (1920 - 1965)

Abstract

With the aim of analyzing the cultures of childhood and of to play in the municipality of Nova Araçá, in the period between 1920 and 1965, promoting the conservation of the municipality's children's cultural identity and contributing to its historical record, in order to preserve and sharing the childhood memories of Araçaense citizens, this study starts from the time frame that precedes the emancipation movement of Nova Araçá, in order to present the playful cultures of early childhood and their experiences, to answer the guiding question of the search: What childhood cultures were experienced and what are the memories of playing, toys and games that marked childhood and that can be recorded in the municipality of Nova Araçá/RS in the period from 1920 to 1965? The theoretical-methodological assumptions that guided the analysis are anchored in Cultural History and, methodologically, in Oral History, based on the contributions of Pesavento (2003), Chartier (2002), Halbwachs (1990) and Burke (2205). Empirics are constructed through documents, especially interviews, as well as photographs, newspapers and laws. Based on the content of the interviews, analysis categories were listed that comprised the research results, including: a) family composition and daily practices; b) local history and development; c) chores and work in childhood; d) religiosity and social practices; e) toys, games and childhood cultures; f) school practices. Continuing with the analysis of the categories and the important contribution of authors such as Huizinga (2010), Del Priore (1999), Kishimoto (2011), Perrot (2007) and Manson (2002), it was possible to draw scenarios and portraits of childhoods of the period. The period studied presents the childhoods since the first decades of the 20th century, of groups of immigrants who settled in the place called Araçá and began their colonization process. As they were among the pioneers, many of the childhoods remembered in the interviews shared similar experiences: large families, who cultivated customs and traditions of remarkable faith and religiosity, handicraft practices, polyculture cultivation and daily routines that included children in the most diverse work activities. The toys they used were mostly handcrafted, in addition to exploring natural resources and pretend play. The presence of folkloric elements, such as characters, songs and stories is also mentioned and characterizes these childhoods. The schools were, for the most part, built next to the Churches, with multigrade classes for teaching calculation, reading and writing, as they were considered essential. The school environment was remembered in the use of rigorous teaching methods, in which paddle kids and punishments were used to maintain obedience and discipline behaviors among children. Habits such as organizing themselves in lines, singing the hymn daily and praying before class were remembered frequently among those interviewed, marking the historical period of positivist education, where civics gained prominence at a national level. Thus, given the evidence presented, it is possible to understand Araçaense children's cultures from 1920 to 1965, as well as transformations and continuations. [resumo fornecido pelo autor]