Contribuições da Pesquisa-Ação para o exercício da função social da universidade

Abstract

Relations between higher education institutions and society have become even more restricted with the accelerated advances in science and technology, in contrary to what would be expected in the face of the enormous social inequalities in the country. And the social function of the university guided by the notion of public good seems to be succumbing to market conditions. Given this scenario, the present thesis investigates the possibilities of transformative practices on the part of the academic community. In close connection with my personal trajectory, my contact with social issues and creative methodologies; and referenced in current discussions in the international context about the relationship between university and society, particularly in Brazil, this research aims at the study of contributions of action research (AR) in the fulfillment of the social function of the university. I consider in this work the potential of this type of approach to articulate teaching, research and extension and I suppose that a recent growth of AR in the country should be providing alternatives to the dominant practices. Searching for aqualitative research, also marked by interactivity and collective construction of knowledge, I developed an action study with a group of researchers from diferente regions and institutions, which aim to set up a network for strengthening the AR in the country. The theoretical references rely on relevant national and international authors from a critical decolonial perspective, especially in the contributions of Paulo Freire, Orlando Fals Borda and Boaventura Santos. Through the characterization of the current panorama of this type of research in the Brazilian university; the discussion with AR practitioners about their experiences; and the collaboration and articulation between the involved subjects, this research found relevant repercussions of the observed experiences related to four main categories: dialogical interaction; teaching and learning; social transformations; and ecology of knowledge. It achieves an understanding of the active approach in research as ecology of knowledge, which can be reached through an ethical dialogue, amid the challenges placed inside and outside the university. And the researcher´s articulation reached follows as a collective process self-organized. I conclude on the perception of the exercise of the teaching-research-extension articulation in its essentiality, observed in the studied experiences and in the understanding of the participant researchers, showing a social perspective in these academic practices and among the practitioners, although in adverse contexts, that is generating collective spaces of learning and creativity around social and academic changes. The study also points to a wealth of alternative experiences to be explored in depth; as well as the need for further deepening, especially around the place of the researcher and ethics in action research.