Black women on quotas at the State University of Paraná: lived experiences and educational pathways

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze, based on the trajectories of scholarship students at a State University of Paraná (UNESPAR), narratives in pedagogical letters about the experiences of these students and the pedagogical actions promoted by the institution through racial quotas. The research adopted a qualitative approach, using the production of pedagogical letters as the method. This investigation is part of a section of the doctoral thesis in education from the State University of Maringá (UEM). Scholarship students from any semester or year of one of the undergraduate courses offered at one of the seven campuses of UNESPAR were invited to participate. The invitation was sent to 1,250 individuals, of whom 37 responded to the questionnaire, and 8 students contributed with pedagogical letters. Of these, only the letters from students enrolled in teaching degrees were selected for this subset, totaling four female students, as the pedagogical letters directly address educational issues, reflecting on the inequalities and challenges faced by scholarship students. The study highlights the need for the continuation of public inclusion policies, ongoing training for faculty members, and the creation of spaces for dialogue on diversity and anti-racism in universities, particularly in teaching, a profession historically marked by gender and racial inequalities.