Entre grilos vermelhos e touros azuis: a perspectiva crítica do graduando sobre o curso de agronomia

Abstract

The present research looked for the Agrarian Science University's criticism level over rural reality. It was applied a Topic-Focused Interview technic upon last year undergraduates in Agronomy courses at the "Universidade Federal de Lavras" (UFLA), in Lavras city, State of Minas Gerais, and at the "Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz7 ", in Piracicaba city, State of São Paulo, during the year of 1996. The follow topics were chosen to guide the interviews: what life aspirations they have; how they see Brazil nowadays; how they are going to make come true their aspirations over this Brazil's panorama; how Agronomy will help them to reach out their aspirations. The number of interviews was defined by the repetition in the interviews contents on each topic. To find out an "average student" wasn't the aim, but to build an interpretative mosaic with the collected information. Thus, it was possible to study the different reality perceptions which University's environment can keep, and so define the University's criticism amplitude. It was found that these Universities are "away" from society because there is no dialogue between students and teachers, instead of the lack of activities amidst society. Society is alive inside the students, but it can't reach out teachers because the one-way communication established between students and teachers. The training programs, the enrollment in projects carried out by the teachers, as well as technical visits, have contributed definitely to improve the relationship between students and teachers, opening a critique behavior upon themselves, upon the University, and upon the world around, first step towards transformations.