‘Dear mommy, dear daddy’: the invention of a school practice (1964 - 1980)

Abstract:

The present study aimed to describe and discuss the materiality of a set of 35 cards, which represent a school practice of making cards that allude to commemorative dates such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. The study was performed taking into account cards in dialogue with other complementary sources. The materials were produced between the years of 1964 and 1980 in multigrade schools in the rural area of the municipality of Pelotas, state of Rio Grande do Sul. The artifacts were characterized by the cultural history approach and interpreted from the perspective of school material culture. In conclusion, the production of greeting cards is constituted by the school curriculum and consolidated by a practice of invented tradition.

Keywords:
history of education; school culture; material culture; educational practice