Citizenship, ethnical-racial relationships and education: challenges and opportunities in the teaching of sciences

Abstract

Set amidst the discussions about human rights, citizenship, and education this article wants to contribute to the understanding of the challenges and opportunities of the teaching of Sciences within the context of a formation for full citizenship. The aim of the text is of articulating citizenship, ethnical-racial relationships in education, and the teaching of Sciences, extracting from such articulation considerations, themes and issues related to the forms in which the teaching of Sciences can promote the education of ethnical-racial relationships understood as a fundamental human right. Staring from theoretical- methodological references and empirical data collected in two studies, five groups of themes and issues were identified that could be approached in the teaching of Sciences with the purpose of promoting ethical ethnical-racial relationships amongst students. These groups are: a) the impact of Natural Sciences to social life and racism; b) the overcoming of stereotypes, valuation of diversity and Natural Sciences; c) Africa and her descendents and the world's scientific development; d) Sciences, media and ethnical-racial relationships; e) traditional knowledge of African and Afro-Brazilian origin and the Sciences. Apart from proclaiming rights, we highlight the need to make their implementation possible and to promote teacher education processes committed to the formation of critical citizens engaged with the struggle for social equity. Through the analysis carried out here we hope to have contributed to foster the debate and research on the role of the teaching of Sciences in the formation of citizens, with a view to create positive social relations and the commitment to the struggle to eradicate every form of social inequality and discrimination.