CULTURAL PEDAGOGIES AND THEIR INFLUENCES ON THE CONSTRUCTIONS OF CHILDREN'S IDENTITIES: REFLECTIONS FROM PEDAGOGICAL WORKSHOPS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Abstract

This study analyzes playing in Early Childhood Education as a cultural pedagogy, that is, a set of practices and discourses that teach and shape ways of being and acting. Cultural pedagogies are present in various social contexts, including school, and influence the construction of children's identities, especially with regard to gender and sexuality norms. This article derives from a master's research, with the objective of understanding children's conceptions about gender and sexuality from playing in the context of Early Childhood Education. The methodology is part of the qualitative approach, characterized as participatory research. The subjects of the research were children from an Early Childhood Education class. For data generation, participant observation was used, as well as pedagogical workshops, and the findings were analyzed through the Nuclei of Significance. It was submitted to and approved by the Research Ethics Committee. The results indicate that toys and games play a central role in the reproduction of sexist and sexist norms and practices. However, it was also observed that, when playing, children challenge and resignify these norms, demonstrating the possibility of new ways of being and acting in relation to gender and sexuality issues from early childhood.