O processo de constituição dos vínculos sociais e afetivos de Yara ao longo de três anos em uma escola municipal de educação infantil em Belo Horizonte

Abstract

This thesis, developed in the “Childhood and Schooling” Research Program at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, aims to understand the process of constituting the social and affective bonds of a very young child over three years (2017 – 2019) in a Municipal School of Early Childhood Education (EMEI Tupi) in Belo Horizonte. We base our theoretical and methodological conceptions on principles of Historical-Cultural Psychology and Ethnography in Education. Through Historical-Cultural Psychology, we understand children as active subjects, constituted in social relations, transforming and being transformed in dialogue, participation and the presence of the multiple constituent voices of the human being. Ethnography in Education is understood as a research logic, an epistemology that involves recognition of the other, to subsidize the understanding of the ways of life of the researched social group. All the empirical material was constructed through participant observation, recordings using video recording, photographs, notes in the field diary and semi-structured interviews with the teachers. We selected Yara, a member of the researched group, as an expressive case, according to the following considerations: (i) to present social behavior related to interactive dynamics; (ii) frequently moving closer and closer to their peers to manipulate some toy or other cultural artifact and, finally, (iii) naming their playmates saying who was their friend and who was not. The following questions emerged from theoretical studies and from the mapping of interactive events: what are the meanings produced by Yara in the construction of her relationships? What are the cultural patterns that form the bonds between children and between them and adults? What are the ways used by Yara to relate to her peers and adults? Under what circumstances does Yara move away and remain alone exploring a toy or other cultural artifact? Why do Yara and her peers mention the term friend? For whom? Who participates in social practices? In which situations? Through the microgenetic analysis of the interactive events, we evidenced that (i) Yara forms the bonds with her peers and adults through facial expressions, gestures and her social actions are constituted by emotions, affections and ideas; (ii) disputes and conflicts are part of the bonding process and (iii) playing becomes a significant activity for children to develop bonds with others (children and adults). We identified that the dialectical pair [inclusion/exclusion] is the unit of analysis of social and affective bonds, the mention of the term friend is linked to having a playful partnership and we emphasize that the social relationship formed with others boosted cultural development by Yara and her peers. Therefore, we defend the thesis that the formation of bonds implies the sharing of social actions, forms of communication and the imbrication of cultural standards between partners and can enable the construction of a bond of friendship.