WHY IS HIGHER EDUCATION CALLED HIGHER EDUCATION? - KNOWING A LITTLE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THIS EDUCATION MODE IN BRAZIL

• DOI: 10.22533/at.ed.5583412303117

• Palavras-chave: University education; Actor-Network Theory; Democratization.

• Keywords: University education; Actor-Network Theory; Democratization.

• Abstract:

  The objective of this article is to provide a brief historical contextualization of Higher Education in Brazil. ES was directly affected by Portuguese colonization, since it was with the arrival of the, until then, Royal Family (1808) that this type of education was officially established in the country. Colonized lands and education, rights and access historically restricted to a privileged portion of the population. Initially, the undergraduate diploma was a tool for social advancement, which in a certain way encouraged segregation and inequality between people. Who attended higher education in the past? 
  The sons of the planters, the nobles. And today, in 2023? Me, you, we… What does this have to do with the composition of the name’s “education” and “higher”? The construction of this text follows the theoretical-methodological approach of the Actor-Network Theory, proposed by Bruno Latour and collaborators, and is written based on the four authors' affect on the theme and the bibliographic material researched along the way. Currently, the challenge of access to Higher Education relies on affirmative action programs in the search for the democratization of this place of education for the entire population that wishes to be there. However, the practical effectiveness of such programs needs to continue to be studied and applied in order to make Higher Education a real possibility for everyone.