Capoeira: um jogo ancestral para a inclusão da pessoa neurodivergente

Abstract

This study investigates capoeira as an ancestral game and a social technology applied to the inclusion of neurodivergent people within the context of civil society organizations in Salvador, Bahia. The general objective of the study is to promote the development of autonomy, independence, and social inclusion of neurodivergent people through the practice of capoeira in Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the municipality of Salvador, Bahia. As specific objectives, the study seeks to identify Civil Society Organizations in Salvador that use capoeira as an inclusive practice, mapping the methodologies adopted and the social impacts generated in their territories of action; to examine the construction of community relationships among neurodivergent people through capoeira practices; and to analyze the development of capoeira as an inclusive social management practice within Civil Society Organizations. In light of the limitations of public policies and the persistence of structural and attitudinal barriers, the research adopts an interdisciplinary and qualitative approach to understand how capoeira has been used as an inclusive practice in the daily activities of these organizations. The study employed a qualitative methodology, combining a literature review, documentary analysis, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews with social actors involved in the initiatives analyzed. Data analysis was guided by previously defined thematic categories, enabling a critical reading of institutional practices articulated with current public policies. The results indicate that capoeira promotes not only the strengthening of selfesteem, motor coordination, and sociability among neurodivergent people, but also fosters pedagogical practices sensitive to diversity, strengthens solidarity networks, and expands civic participation in the peripheral territories of Salvador. It was also evidenced that capoeira can be understood as a form of ancestral social management, integrating traditional knowledge, community protagonism, and inclusion. The research offers theoretical and practical contributions to more equitable policies and to educational actions aimed at the universalization of the rights of neurodivergent people.