Irmãs franciscanas em Santa Maria – RS: uma congregação de mulheres empreendedoras no ensino superior (1953-2018)

Abstract

This thesis was developed together with the Postgraduate and History Program, “Memory and Heritage” research, with the title “Franciscan Sisters in Santa Maria - RS: A congregation of women entrepreneurs in higher education (1953-2018).” Its general objective was to understand and reconstruct the trajectory of the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity, from 1953 to 2018, marked by entrepreneurship in its performance in higher education in Santa Maria. In other words, this investigation aimed to contribute to the Social and Women's History, analyzing the path of a religious Congregation of women and its entrepreneurial profile regarding the development of higher education in the municipality of Santa Maria, RS. Documentary research (in textual, iconographic and journalistic documents), bibliographic research, as well as interviews (oral history) and questionnaires with professors, technical-administrative employees and Franciscan sisters were carried out. From the sources studied, it was observed that the Franciscan Sisters played a leading and entrepreneurial role in the creation and development of higher education in Santa Maria, based on the concept of educational institutions under the management of the Congregation itself, but also acting decisively for the constitution of the University of Santa Maria. Thus, it is concluded that these women, who belong to a religious Congregation in Santa Maria, since the beginning sought to innovate, accepting risks and knowing how to value the availability of human and financial resources in order to modify the economic and social context of Santa Maria. They started this process in a more reserved way with elementary education, creating bases for a more expressive and significant performance in higher education. The creation of Institutions managed by the Congregation such as the Immaculate Conception Philosophy, Science and Language School (FIC), Our Lady Mediatrix Nursing School (FACEM), both in 1955; the unification of these into Franciscan Colleges (FAFRA), in 1995; the transformation into a Franciscan University Center (UNIFRA) in 1998, and finally its transformation into a Franciscan University (UFN) in 2018. It all points out a trajectory of dedication and work in favor of higher education. And in this context, it is also necessary to highlight the role of the Franciscan Sisters in the creation of the Federal University of Santa Maria (USM / UFSM) in 1960, due to the fact that FIC and FACEM were aggregate institutions, they were fundamental to the possibility of creating and growing the USM / UFSM. Moreover, the Franciscan Sisters acted at different times at USM / UFSM, contributing to its expansion and solidification. This way, it was concluded that the educational context of Santa Maria was strongly influenced and modified by the Franciscan Sisters’ performance, in which women with an entrepreneurial profile have been successfully working with higher education.