A dádiva

: uma arte mágica na relação pedagógica

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyse the importance of the “gift”, according to Marcel Mauss denomination, in the pedagogical relationships, and to evaluate its relevance in the daily relationships at school: among peers, between teacher and student, as also with the entire educational community. The assessment of its pertinence, and the repercussions on the different actors involved, was focused on the educational context of the community of the Elementary School of Chouselas/“Agrupamento” D. Pedro I, at Vila Nova de Gaia. This analysis was composed of two complementary methodologies (a tool and a technique for collecting information): following a questionnaire survey addressed to the different teaching levels, aiming to identify the presence of gift in the pedagogical practice and, in the positive cases, to understand the effects; and the other method, the qualitative technique, was based on the organization of a focus group with students from the 4th grade of the elementary level with the objective of interpreting their attitude to a teacher they like, and how they return and show gratitude, as also their reaction when the relationship with a teacher is not the most desirable. From the analysis of the data collected it can be concluded that the existence of gift is perceived and considered important in the interpersonal and pedagogical relationships, leading to a contagious effect that builds a chain of consecutive gifts, which makes possible the assumption of an authentic magic art in the pedagogical relation. At last, it was demonstrated how important it is to lay the foundations of the relationships between people in the gift, especially in an area so humanly rich as the Social Pedagogy.

Date of Award	Feb 2012
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Joaquim Azevedo (Supervisor) & José Luis Gonçalves (Co-Supervisor)