Políticas afirmativas na educação superior: um estudo crítico da implementação das cotas raciais nos concursos para docentes na Universidade Federal da Bahia

Abstract

Affirmative actions, born from the relentless efforts of social movements, are public policies promoted by both governmental authorities and private initiatives. They aim to fulfill the constitutional principle of substantive equity, addressing socioeconomic exclusions from the past or present. Law No. 12,990/2014, which pertains to affirmative action policies in public service exams, serves as an instrument of reparation and social justice driven by the underrepresentation of Black individuals in public service. In its first article, the Law establishes a 20% reservation of positions only for exams with three or more vacancies. However, this is not the reality in faculty recruitment exams at universities, complicating the law's application. Faculty selection processes are highly specific, with recruitment criteria often requiring a master’s or doctoral degree in particular fields. In this context, the present study aimed to analyze how the quota policy defined by Law No. 12,990/2014 has been implemented in public exams for faculty positions at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA) between 2014 and 2023. This qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory research was conducted through a literature review and document analysis. The theoretical foundation of the study encompasses discussions of race, racism, and, specifically, racism within universities. The research findings indicate that UFBA adopted a restrictive interpretation of the law from 2014 to 2018, resulting in a low number of reserved positions. However, this situation reversed in 2018 when the institution embraced a broader interpretation of the legislation and modified its recruitment model. Consequently, the 20% reservation stipulated by the law began to apply to the total number of positions offered. It is concluded that this shift in the interpretation of the law was a successful step, significantly increasing the approval of Black faculty members in the institution's recruitment processes, underscoring the importance of continuous evaluations of affirmative action policies.