Ensino de evolução humana e as questões de gênero: percepção das (os) acadêmicas (os) de Ciências Biológicas

Abstract

Gender prejudices is impregnated in several areas of human knowledge. Science is permeated by social, sexist and androcentric prejudices that reinforce the discrimination of women at different levels, including the knowledge built. The objective of this research is to understand the students' perceptions regarding gender issues in the content of Human Evolution, and the possible repetitions in the Teaching of Human Evolution. Thus, we start with the following questioning: What are the perceptions of the academics of gender issues in the content of Human Evolution? How can these perceptions influence the Teaching of Human Evolution? To this end, we explore theoretical-methodological foundations in works that enabled the result of approaches that consider the theme Gender and Human Evolution. This study is qualitative in nature. For the collection of data, a didactic unit was elaborated, consisting of questionnaires, collaborative activities and mental map. The analysis of the data was performed through the analysis of categorical thematic content. Context and register units were developed for the analysis of the collected empirical material. From the data analyzed, it was possible to understand that there is a predominance of perceptions that the gender guides the Science and the contents of Human Evolution and there is perception that gender is a classification of binary characteristics, such as man / strong, woman / weak, on the other hand also present separate gender perceptions of science and science without gender. As far as relations in prehistory are concerned, men and women may perceive equality, other perceptions are androcentric in that women are consumers / caregivers and men are producers / protectors and connoisseurs, as well as unequal relationships. Perceptions of changes in behavior between women and men in the course of Human Evolution present men and women in unequal relationships in the past, doubts about equity in prehistory, binarisms and hierarchies, but also criticize inequalities between men and women, and realize that equitable relationships in prehistory are possible. Discussions are needed on gender issues in Science and Human Evolution content, because new looks need to be brought to gender analysis in Biology Teaching, this change will not happen immediately, it is a long process that requires pedagogical practices destabilizing truths put forward, such as those proposed in Feminist Pedagogy.