Field education and social inequality

a preliminary overview of recent research

Abstract

This text aims at discussing issues related to social inequalities as a theme often addressed in studies on Field Education. This study, which derives from readings reflected on during the research carried out for the writing of the thesis, sought to comprehend the conceptual construction on the dichotomy “Field Education” versus “inequalities” in the daily lives of young workers in rural spaces. In order to accomplish the objective of this study, a search in the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD) was carried out, using the search terms “inequality” AND “Field Education”, which resulted in the selection of theses and dissertations with the theme of this article. The category “inequality” was grounded in Patto’s (1999) reflections, which prompted the expansion of the reflections on Field Education to a wide range of authors. The results showed that “inequality” crosses the studies analyzed as a fundamental challenge to be faced in the training of Field educators, in Youth and Adult Education for those with specific needs, in the protection of the environment, in sustainable agricultural production and in the implementation of Pedagogy of Alternation. Inequalities have contributed to the closure of rural schools, which further raises the challenges of living in the Brazilian countryside.