Ilhas da branquitude: contexto social e racial da educação bilíngue de línguas de prestígio em Salvador - Bahia

Abstract

Considering the social and racial context of Salvador and the high levels of social inequality, as well as the growth of bilingual schools in an elitist and white context, this dissertation takes on the role of questioning the racial issues inherent in bilingual educational spaces. In this way, the study aimed to map the locations of the so-called bilingual schools of prestigious languages in the city of Salvador, in order to trigger guidelines on racism in the process of bi/multilingual schooling. Consequently, it presents discussions about the advertisements of bilingual schools in the capital of Bahia and what they teach about access or exclusion; as well as analyses of the pedagogical proposals of the institutions in the face of bilingual issues in Brazilian legislation. Methodologically, the type of research is qualitative (Gil, 2021), with documentary exploration. Its analysis techniques use cartographic methodology (Costa, 2014), in conjunction with Critical Discourse Analysis. The study is anchored in the theoretical contributions of Critical Applied Linguistics (Moita Lopes, 2013; 2009; Melo, 2022), with which it operates in the concepts of bilingual education (Megale, 2017; El Kadri, 2022); race and racism (Nascimento, 2020; Gonzales, 2020, hooks, 2020, Kilomba, 2020); whiteness (Bento, 2022; Schucman, 2014), elite (Goia, Vieira, 2022), as well as cartographic studies (Cintra, 2017; Serpa, 2007). The proposal, therefore, is a reflection on the area of bilingual education in Salvador in the face of the global demands of bilingualism and the guidelines on racism in the process of bilingual schooling. The results show that there is a preservation of social asymmetries that exclusively benefit one group (white), excluding black individuals from spheres of power and prestige; the images of bilingual and international schools reveal privileges inherent in these environments of whiteness; while advertising pieces often disregard race relations, perpetuating practices of social exclusion and, consequently, racial segregation in the city of Salvador. Based on the cartography, it can be seen that bilingual schools are located in upscale neighbourhoods, neglecting neighbourhoods that are considered poor and, for this reason, cater to a very specific public in social and financial terms, forming islands of whiteness.