Publicação na revista International Higher Education: Affirmative actions in Brazilian Higher Education
11/01/2024 22:18
O
artigo “Affirmative actions in Brazilian Higher Education” integra a edição 117 da Revista International Higher Education, uma publicação do Center for International Higher Education (CIHE) do Boston College, nos Estados Unidos.
Abstract:
Brazilian public universities have been predominantly elitist throughout their existence. The law on quotas, implemented in 2012 and currently under review, was one of the initiatives that challenged the system. This article provides an overview of the initial steps and current developments in affirmative actions in Brazilian higher education, pointing to some of the main challenges and potential outcomes of democratizing higher education in a country with significant social asymmetries.
Rethinking Inclusion: Do Quotas Advance Justice or Entrench Divides?
In a new article in hashtag#IHE117, Fernanda Leal unpacks the promises and limitations of affirmative action policies aimed at diversifying Brazil’s historically elite public universities. While quotas have increased low-income, Black, indigenous and disabled students since 2012, improved retention rates and genuine cultural change remains lacking. As Leal explains, marginalized groups still report experiences of racism and exclusion in institutions that preserve colonial academic models. Moreover, quotas rarely extend to faculty and global opportunities continue prioritizing students with privilege. This raises critical questions: When does “fair discrimination” breed resentment between groups or conceal systemic inequities? How can representation couple with holistic support structures and antiracist cultural change?