Among heroes and heroines in the Pantanal: curricular-pedagogical aspects of the costumes of the children’s samba school in Corumbá (MS)

Abstract

The article analyzes the Carnival of Corumbá (MS) through the costume sketches of the Corumbá do Amanhã Children’s Samba School, understanding them as cultural artifacts endowed with curriculum and cultural pedagogy. Drawing on a post-critical perspective grounded in cultural studies and queer theory, the study highlights how these artifacts produce and regulate identities from childhood onward, particularly in relation to gender and sexuality, articulated with other social markers such as regionality, religiosity, and nationality in the Brazil-Bolivia border context. The methodology adopted was digital ethnography, with data collection conducted in institutional and media-based virtual environments between 2023 and 2024. The analysis of the sketches reveals that, beneath a playful and seemingly innocent appearance, the costumes reinforce heteronormative and binary norms, naturalizing gendered performances and cultural hierarchies while silencing dissidences, such as those linked to representations of Afro-Brazilian religions and non-hegemonic sexualities. It is concluded that children’s carnival costumes function as disciplinary and prosthetic devices that shape bodies and subjectivities, while also potentially constituting spaces of tension and possibility. Recognizing Carnival as an educational practice broadens the debate on curriculum, culture, and power, highlighting its potential for more critical, plural, and inclusive experiences.