Decolonial pedagogy in a socioeducational unit: challenges and practices in the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

This article presents the results of an investigation on the challenges and possibilities of decolonial pedagogy in a socio-educational unit in the metropolitan region of Belém-PA, analyzing how the incorporation of marginalized epistemologies can transform educational practices in contexts of deprivation of liberty. Through critical documental analysis, we investigate initiatives such as re-existence literacy (using hip-hop), artistic slams, and Abayomi doll workshops, which value peripheral and Amazonian knowledge systems. The research reveals that although the Pará State Curriculum Document presents theoretical advances in decolonial perspectives, its implementation faces practical gaps, such as the lack of guidelines to integrate youth cultures and the persistence of Eurocentric epistemic hierarchies. We conclude that socio-educational practices will only become emancipatory by breaking with colonialist paradigms, ensuring youth agency and teacher training aligned with critical interculturality. The study underscores the need for policies that integrate education, culture, and justice, transforming these units into spaces for critical knowledge production.