É brincadeira ou racismo recreativo? O olhar das juventudes do C.E. Gonçalves Dias sobre o racismo recreativo

Abstract

This study aims to understand how young people at C.E. Gonçalves Dias perceive "recreational racism"—defined as a cultural practice that uses humor and jokes to position Black individuals as inferior (Moreira, 2019). Among these young people, the phenomenon manifests in everyday interactions within the school environment—a space where diverse identities converge and where racism often goes unnoticed, dismissed as mere "joking." This qualitative field study employs non-participant observation to identify the attitudes, speech, and specific jokes associated with recreational racism among the youth at C.E. Gonçalves Dias and to analyze the impact on their interpersonal relationships. The study draws on the work of theorists such as Silvio Almeida (2019), Adilson Moreira (2019), Djamila Ribeiro (2019), Grada Kilomba (2018), Nilma Lino Gomes (2021), Hall (2014), Antônio Groppo (2018), Munanga (2005), Lilia Schwarcz (2011), Cecília da Silva (2011), and Lelia Gonzalez (1984), among others. Analysis of the data leads to the conclusion that the Young people's lack of awareness regarding "recreational racism" naturalizes, masks, and reinforces the roots of prejudice, resulting in severe psychological, social, and physical harm to Black youth.