Colonialidade e decolonialidade do saber na universidade pública: experiências de estudantes de graduação em administração

Abstract

Coloniality survives the period of colonialism, marked by the physical conquest of colonized beings and the subjective/objective colonization of nature, power, being and knowledge, the latter being a colonization of the mind through science. Coloniality uses knowledge as a central form of domination and the maintenance of power relations, and has its current marks on the realities of the peoples of the so-called Global South (Africa, Latin America). Faced with this scenario, the decolonial lens emerges as a universe of possibilities Others for understanding subalternities and reaffirming the power, being, knowledge, nature and gender of peoples who have been subalternized for centuries. In terms of knowledge, the role of universities stands out, environments where hegemonies and knowledge are disputed, and which have a history of homogeneous and crystallized education (including in Administration). Decolonial reflection in universities arises from the need to break with this crystallized education, which does not match the expectations and reality of society and does not consider the student's perspective. Considering these dilemmas, this research asks: do undergraduate business students at a public university identify experiences that reflect conditions of subalternity and possibilities for resistance at university? What are these experiences and how are they articulated through the lens of the coloniality of knowledge? This research aims to identify and describe the experiences lived by students who are historically and socially considered to be subaltern in the undergraduate Business course at a public university, here black or brown students, quota students or those belonging to the LGBTQIAPN+ community, analyzing them from the perspective of the coloniality of knowledge. Using a qualitative approach with interviews, a narrative logic was constructed of these people's stories related to issues of Inequality, Belonging and Theory and Practice, which revealed the nuances of their experiences, which pointed to a mixed relationship between systemic decolonization and specific initiatives. The reports showed phenomena of coloniality and decolonization coming from the institution, from relations between the institution and students, from the power of teacher autonomy and also from relations between students. Based on this, we proposed a representation of five possible dimensions of decolonization of knowledge (Deconstruction, Recognition, Representation, Reintegration and Reparation), with concrete initiatives to contemplate a different education in universities, the result of a reflection on the trajectory of this research, considering the desires and appeals of the fourteen informants. Universities are in a constant struggle for knowledge, given the colonial imprint that these institutions bear and the diverse profile of the students who make them up. For this reason, people Other from the university face the most diverse challenges that directly influence the quality of their education. We identified unconsolidated student assistance policies and occasional decolonization initiatives at the university. Reports showed manifestations of coloniality and decolonization in the institution, in relations between the institution and students, in the power of faculty autonomy and in interactions between students. Conditions of subalternity and alternative proposals for university decolonization were highlighted. The synthesis articulated theory and reports, illuminating paths towards decolonization.