ENSINO SUPERIOR, EDUCAÇÃO EM DIREITOS HUMANOS E DIVERSIDADE: REFLEXÕES SOBRE VIVÊNCIAS DE ESTUDANTES E PROFESSORES UNIVERSITÁRIOS

Abstract

This article aims to reflect on the experiences of students and professors regarding human rights education at a private, non-profit university. It is urgent to reflect on how race, class, gender and sexuality policies have been addressed in the professors’ practices and in the experiences of higher education students. In this sense, intersectionality was used as an analytical tool for understanding the experiences on human rights education. The research participants were students and professors from different areas of knowledge. Students participated through focus groups, and professors through a semi-structured interview. The data were transcribed and submitted to Bardin’s content analysis. The results have shown that students have experienced gender, class, race and sexual discrimination, and there is a need to mainstream human rights education across different disciplines, and incorporate methodologies that take into consideration the cultural, social, and economic context of students. It is concluded that the discussion of human rights and diversity must be incorporated in the scope of professors’ continued training, as social markers of difference (race, class, gender and sexuality) make up the individual, social and professional experience of any educator. Furthermore, human rights and diversity education training enable us to question and challenge educational practices, aiming towards critical reflection and a transformative praxis.
Keywords: human rights education; diversity, higher education; intersectionality.