Concepções da comunidade sobre o papel das crianças na reconstrução da identidade do Quilombo Santa Rita do Bracuí, em Angra dos Reis/RJ

Abstract

The participation of local populations in the management and planning of traditional territories is essential to strengthening community development and ensuring the continuity of ancestral knowledge. However, this participation must include the various groups within the community, recognizing the diversity of actors who contribute to the social construction of the territory. Although the right to participation has advanced, children remain an underestimated group in decision-making processes, which directly impacts their sense of belonging and their development as political agents. In this context, this dissertation seeks to investigate how children’s participation contributed to the reconstruction of the identity of the Santa Rita do Bracuí Quilombo, in Angra dos Reis/RJ, based on the memories and narratives of adults from the community itself. The research analyzes how children, by being included in Jongo gatherings, not only learn about their culture but also reinterpret this practice and strengthen community ties. Furthermore, it discusses how valuing children’s participation in community processes can serve as a mechanism of territorial resistance and as a means of strengthening the quilombola struggle. To support the reflections in this study, theoretical frameworks from the Social Studies of Childhood, Urban Sociology, and Urban and Regional Planning are employed, along with field research conducted in the Santa Rita do Bracuí quilombola community.