Quota policy and democratization of higher education: the vision of implementers

Abstract

The affirmative policies have been the subject of discussions under different approaches and perspectives in the current context. In this sense, this work sought to analyze the quota policy of a State Higher Education Institution in the state of Paraná, regarding the democratization of access and permanence in higher education from the perspective of its implementers. To that end, the discussions are supported by the contributions of Bourdieu (2010a, 2010b) on the theory of symbolic violence and the reproduction of inequalities within the social and education system. The concepts of democracy, equality and social justice were also treated as fundamental elements for the study of quotas policy, based on Bobbio (2000), Bobbio, Matteucci and Pasquino (2008) and Crahay (2002). The research was qualitative and the instrument for the data collection
was the semi-structured interview. For the analysis of the speechs, the  methodology of the Collective Subject Discourse, by Lefèvre and Lefèvre (2005a; 2005b) was used. In the light of the theoretical reference and of the
collective discourses derived from the interviewees' testimonies, it was noticed that although the attempt to reproduce inequalities is perceived and confirmed within the institution, there is the existence of a movement to overcome social and educational inequalities due to the education bias, As stated by Cury (1995, 2002). The results of the research allow us to affirm that the quota policy of the Institution of higher education makes it possible to democratize access to a portion of students previously excluded from higher education. In this sense, it is argued that works like this confirm the importance of monitoring the implementation of public policies as a necessary instrument for the exercise of democracy.