The role of unions in intellectual, technological and physical education

Abstract

The aims are to identify the role of unions in intellectual, technological and physical education of the workers and examine the main motivations of Brazilian union centrals for proposing educational initiatives, according to the existing literature on the subject. The central arguments point out that the intellectual education initiatives provided by unions should seek primarily to demonstrate the importance of dialogue in the educational process rather than merely transmit knowledge. The technological education initiatives may take the form of courses, workshops and lectures promoted by such entities, which could predominantly aim at raising workers’ awareness of the notion of “social technology”. The physical education initiatives – many focused on sports practices and body awareness – could predominantly move away from hygienist projects, get closer to the promotion of physical and mental well-being not to improve the workers’ performance in the workplace, but their quality of life outside the workplace, and achieve greater social integration. The authors conclude that, in fact, the most important union centrals in Brazil sought educational initiatives as ways of garnering workers’ support for projects that served the capitalist interests.