Representações das infâncias na imprensa paraibana (1921-1925): um olhar sobre as fotografias da Revista Era Nova

Abstract

The representations of childhoods in the Paraiban press at the beginning of the twentieth century constitute the theme of this Undergraduate Thesis, which analyzes photographs published in the Era Nova magazine between 1921 and 1925. The study is based on the conception that childhoods are social, historical, cultural, and political constructions, and that photographic images function as devices of memory and The representations of childhoods in the Paraiban press at the beginning of the twentieth century constitute the theme of this Undergraduate Thesis, which analyzesphotographs published in the Era Nova magazine between 1921 and 1925. The study is based on the conception that childhoods are social, historical, cultural, and political constructions, and that photographic images function as devices of memory and power, producing pedagogical meanings. The research used as sources 71 photographs located at the Historical and Geographical Institute of Paraíba (IHGP), cataloged according to thematic, identity-based, and contextual criteria. The analysis was organized into four categories: (1) Black and poor children; (2) elite children of Paraíba; (3) education of poor children; and (4) peasant children and child labor. The results indicate that the magazine privileged portraits of white, elite children, disseminating an ideal of childhood described as modern, hygienist, and bourgeois, aligned with the Republican projects of the time. In contrast, poor, Black, and working children were marginalized or made invisible, appearing in records only peripherally or silenced, thus revealing social and racial tensions. It is concluded that the photographs were not neutral but functioned as pedagogical and political instruments, legitimizing certain models of childhood while silencing others. This research contributes to the history of education and to critical reflection on the role of images in teacher education, highlighting their relevance for understanding social, racial, and cultural disputes in the Paraiban context. power, producing pedagogical meanings. The research used as sources 71 photographs located at the Historical and Geographical Institute of Paraíba (IHGP), cataloged according to thematic, identity-based, and contextual criteria. The analysis was organized into four categories: (1) Black and poor children; (2) elite children of Paraíba; (3) education of poor children; and (4) peasant children and child labor. The results indicate that the magazine privileged portraits of white, elite children, disseminating an ideal of childhood described as modern, hygienist, and bourgeois, aligned with the Republican projects of the time. In contrast, poor, Black, and working children were marginalized or made invisible, appearing in records only peripherally or silenced, thus revealing social and racial tensions. It is concluded that the photographs were not neutral but functioned as pedagogical and political instruments, legitimizing certain models of childhood while silencing others. This research contributes to the history of education and to critical reflection on the role of images in teacher education,highlighting their relevance for understanding social, racial, and cultural disputes in the Paraiban context.