Representations of Africa in Brazilian textbooks: a situated feminist critique

Abstract

This article analyzes the representations of Africa in textbooks used in the public high school system in the municipalities of the Baturité Massif, Ceará, Brazil, based on an intersectional analysis (Crenshaw, 2002; Figueiredo and Gomes, 2016). We analyzed the three Global History textbooks (Cotrim, 2016a; 2016b; 2016c) and the six volumes of the textbooks Connections in Humanities and Applied Sciences (Cotrim et al., 2020a, 2020b, 2020c, 2020d, 2020e, 2020f)) with a focus on book structure, table of contents, and written and visual content. The content on Africa has made significant advances, with the treatment of relevant themes such as independence or apartheid, as well as the reference to African and Afro-Brazilian intellectuals in the most recent books; However, there is almost no problematization of gender issues or positivity of images of African women. Finally, we point out the importance of deepening the implementation of Law 10639 with regard to content related to African history and cultures with intersectional approaches, and also the central role that a university like Unilab has in advancing the teaching of African history and culture in the public education system.