Ensinando a Transgredir a Ordem do Discurso

Abstract

This text aims to reflect on the language aspects of the writings of the American author bell hooks in Language: Teaching New Worlds/New Words, which is part of Chapter 11 in the book Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. It situates the author's intersectional discourse within the framework of Michel Foucault's analysis of discourse production in his inaugural lecture at the Collège de France: The Order of Discourse. To do this, we highlight some authors who have shaped the relationship between racism and language in the formation of contemporary society: Franz Fanon and the consequences of colonialism for the Black population; Beatriz Nascimento, emphasizing the importance of Black people narrating their own stories; and Lélia González, who introduced the term "Pretuguês," representing language as a foundational layer of Brazilian culture. We conclude that, for both bell hooks and Foucault, language is much more than a neutral and objective communication tool; it can become a powerful driver in the construction of identities and critical thinking as it provokes tensions. Hence the relevance of situating Foucault's thinking in the intersectional debate of gender and race within the context of education.