POR UMA INFÂNCIA COM VOZ: DESCONSTRUINDO ESTEREÓTIPOS E PROMOVENDO

Abstract

This study aims to reflect on the multiple conceptions of childhood and to analyze the social inequalities that directly affect children’s rights in contemporary society. The research originates from discussions held in the course “Childhood and Society,” part of the Pedagogy program at the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul – Aquidauana Campus (UFMS/CPAQ), and is based on dialogue with authors such as Ariès (1981), Scheper-Hughes (1993), and Sarmento (2003). It assumes that childhood is a social and historical construction influenced by cultural, economic, and political factors. Using a qualitative approach supported by a bibliographic review and critical analysis of academic texts, the study discusses the normativity imposed on childhood and the implications of an adult-centered perspective on how children are understood and treated in social practices. It also examines the role of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Crc, 1989) as an international legal framework for the protection of childhood, while questioning its limitations in contexts marked by deep social inequalities. The study concludes that, beyond the existence of legislation, it is essential to rethink educational and social practices that reinforce stereotypes, silencing, and exclusion, recognizing children as rights-bearing subjects capable of actively participating in the construction of a more just, equitable, and inclusive society. Keywords: childhood; children’s rights; social inequality; social construction; education.