Self-portraits: visual artistic activities as a promotion of identity and belonging in technological education

Abstract

This research examines how visual arts activities contribute to the promotion of identity and belonging in Vocational and Technological Education (EPT), focusing on the IFSP – Barretos Campus, an agricultural unit. The issue focuses on students' transitions between units on the same campus and the challenges arising from this process, such as commuting, adapting to new spaces, and reorganizing social relationships—all factors that impact educational development and school bonds. The discussion is based on studies on Identity and Belonging, utilizing theoretical frameworks such as Castells, Dayrell, Hall, Leite & Tagliaferro, and Ribeiro, and articulating with the concept of Comprehensive Education from the perspective of omnilateralism in Vocational and Technological Education, based on the authors Ciavatta, Kober, Moura, and Ramos. Finally, it connects to reflections on Art and Visual Culture, based on Martins and Tourinho, Oliveira, and Viana, understanding it as a language of symbolic expression, cultural mediation, and production of meaning. The methodological approach was qualitative, in the form of a case study, utilizing discussion groups, photographic records, and a canvas painting workshop. The discussion group was analyzed using the Discourse of the Collective Subject (DSC), complemented by Bardin's Content Analysis. The results reveal institutional challenges, adaptation difficulties, and limitations in shared spaces, but also highlight the potential of visual arts as mediators of cultural expression and strengthening bonds of belonging. “The Educational Product resulted in a Pedagogical Cultural Workshop, which enabled participants to symbolically elaborate on their school experiences, highlighting art as a sensitive formative practice that promotes identity and belonging.