Faculdade de Filosofia de Natal: a presença da mulher no ensino superior (1955-1964)

Abstract

This study is the result of historiographical, documentary, and qualitative research conducted at the Faculty of Philosophy of Natal (RN), with the aim of analyzing the history of women's integration into the Bachelor's programs in History, Geography, and Neo-Latin Languages. The time frame covers the years 1955 to 1964, chosen due to the creation of the Faculty of Philosophy of Natal according to Resolution No. 1 of March 12, 1955, which was incorporated into the University of Rio Grande do Norte and federalized by Law No. 3,849, sanctioned on December 18, 1960, by President Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira. Between 1961 and 1964, it was observed that 17 women graduated, with a higher presence in the Neo-Latin Languages course. These students had subtle participation in events such as the ceremony for the selection of the triple list for the Rectory of the University of Rio Grande do Norte. The historical record of these women in their academic lives is scarce; our research found documentation of only 03 women who experienced the impacts of these courses on society. To develop this study, we used documentary sources such as reports, minutes, official letters, and student registration books. We also turned to bibliographic sources to understand the historical pathways and support our theoretical and methodological approach. The study is grounded in Cultural History, valuing the representation of women in higher education in Natal (Chartier, 1988). The research was conducted at the General Archive of UFRN and the Zila Mamede Library (BCZM), especially in rare and special works. To substantiate the presence of women in higher education institutions in Natal, we referred to the writings of Bourdieu (1997, 2007, 2012) on processes of exclusion; Cunha (1980, 1989, 2003, 2004) on higher education in Brazil; Duarte (1985); Melo and Calado (2019) on the journey of female students in Natal; Perrot (1988, 1998, 2005, 2006, 2017, 2019) and Saffioti (1976, 1992) on women's access and invisibility in public educational spaces. At the end of the study, we concluded that women's access to the Bachelor's programs in History, Geography, and Neo-Latin Languages in Natal was significant for opening a space and a field of scientific training in the society of Natal, as well as for the integration of women into the labor market.