Two women, two books: women's narratives about the "Barefoot on the Ground One Also Learns to Read" campaign

Abstract

In the face of attempts to exclude the female presence from historical narratives, when given opportunities, women not only demonstrate their participation but likewise their thoughts and perceptions. This article analyzes two women’s narratives about the “Barefoot on the Ground One Also Learns to Read” (De Pé no Chão Também se Aprende a Ler) literacy campaign, which took place in the city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, from 1961 to 1964. Through bibliographical and documental research, analysis of reports, newspapers, and didactic materials related to the campaign, and the use of oral history methodology, we investigated the narratives of the literacy campaign, especially in the books 1964: Aconteceu em Abril and Memórias da Campanha “De Pé no Chão Também se Aprende a Ler”. In addition to providing details about the campaign, these books reveal biographical aspects of the narrators. Such works were produced, respectively, by Mailde Pinto Galvão (1925–2013) and Margarida de Jesus Cortez (1930–). The theoretical discussions of Cultural History (Chartier, 2002) and Women’s History (Perrot, 2005, 2007) informed the interpretation of the data, which indicates that much more than composing the bibliographic set on popular education, the books analyzed comprehend the feminine perspective on the fact, unveil the authors’ intention of explaining their positions regarding popular education movements as well as demonstrating their views.