Entre afetos e lugares: percepção de graduandos negros(as) da UFRN e suas relações topofílicas-topofóbicas e raciais

Abstract

This monograph presents the perception of Black undergraduate students at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) - Central Campus, based on their experiences and trajectory formation. The research employs Yi-Fu Tuan's (2013) concept of place, focusing on topophilic and topophobic relationships, and Sueli Carneiro's (2023) theory of raciality devices to illuminate this investigation. he methodology combines sociodemographic data analysis from UFRN and IBGE, semi-structured interviews with five Black undergraduate students, exploratory walks, and mapping of topophilic and topophobic spaces, revealing an affective campus geography. The results show that the interviewed Black students' experiences are marked by complex interactions between topophilia, topophobia, and racial relations. Although UFRN is potentially inclusive, it still reproduces racial inequalities evident in these students' daily lives. Factors like sense of belonging, space identification, and social interactions influence topophilic relations. Conversely, racism, overcrowding, and lack of welcoming contribute to topophobia. This research highlights UFRN's crucial role in shaping citizens but emphasizes the need to advance racial equality, overcoming hegemonic domains producing power, knowledge, and subjectivation modes (Carneiro, 2023).