Pomeranian childhoods, early childhood education and intersectionalities: challenges in the Brazilian legislations

Abstract

This paper analyzes legislations that guide the national guidelines for Early Childhood Education policies, answering to the following questions: to what extent do the discussions on ethnical and linguistic-cultural diversity have been considered or not in the Brazilian legislations? Specifically, in which way do the laws represent shelter or stabilizer element of protection to Pomeranian children? Which guarantees are conceived to them that their language, culture and ways of life can be respected? In which way do the differentiating markers of Pomeranian children (ethnicity, mother tongue and culture) emerge in the legislations? To which extent do the laws reinforce or not the cultural hierarchizations and deepen the ethnical and linguistic-cultural inequalities that affect more the Pomeranian children? Inspired by the Arendtian view on law and by the perspective of intersectionality, the ways in which the markers that differentiate the Pomeranian children and, contradictorily, put them in a condition of inequality are questioned. It was also examined if they are considered in documentary sources or not, having the Federal Constitution of 1988 as a time frame. The analysis enables us can contribute the lack of recognition of distinctive particularities of Pomeranian children and of so many others, which contributes to reinforce the discrimination and subordination to which they are subjected in Brazil. It is concluded that, formally, the “equality of rights" is already an achievement, for having the intention of reducing the social inequalities. However, it is important not to stick solely to the literal meaning of the law. Therefore, it is legitimate to create legal distinctions for the elaboration of complementary and infraconstitucional laws as well as regulations, for the concretization of the isonomy in its substantial features, giving equal opportunities for those children.