Impacts of racial violence on cognitive development
epistemicide and scientific racism
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47456/rbps.v27isupl_2.48422Keywords:
Racism, Cognitive development, Intelligence, Memory, PsychologyAbstract
Introduction: Racial relations permeate various dimensions of social life and profoundly influence cognitive development. This study is situated within a theoretical framework that questions the production and distribution of knowledge. Objective: To analyze the impacts of racial violence on cognitive development, based on the concepts of epistemicide and inventive cognition, exploring how dynamics of racial exclusion influence memory, intelligence, and learning processes. Methods: The adopted methodology was a critical reflection, grounded in the analysis of theoretical works and a review of scientific literature, which revealed an academic omission on the topic. Results: Based on the perspectives of Sueli Carneiro, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, and Virgínia Kastrup, the article identifies gaps in the Brazilian academic literature regarding the relationship between racism and cognitive development, highlighting the lack of approaches that directly connect racial dynamics to mental processes. The research points out that violent and exclusionary environments can compromise intellectual and emotional development, limiting the construction of adaptive strategies and reinforcing dynamics of social and academic exclusion. At the same time, it emphasizes the potential for cognitive resistance, where individuals and communities create new epistemologies and narratives that challenge hegemonic power structures. Conclusion: Epistemicide and scientific racism perpetuate the devaluation of racialized populations, reinforcing intellectual hierarchies and erasing alternative knowledge. In contrast, it suggests adopting educational and epistemological practices that recognize cultural plurality and inventive forms of cognition as fundamental strategies to combat racism and promote inclusive science.
Downloads
References
Carneiro S. Dispositivo de racialidade: a construção do outro como não ser como fundamento do ser. Rio de Janeiro: Zahar; 2023.
Piaget J. A psicologia da inteligência. São Paulo: Martins Fontes; 1998.
Kastrup V. A invenção de si e do mundo: uma introdução do tempo e do coletivo no estudo da cognição. Belo Horizonte: Autêntica; 2007.
Piaget J. O nascimento da inteligência na criança. 5. ed. Rio de Janeiro: LTC; 2024. Disponível em: https://integrada.minhabiblioteca.com.br/reader/books/9788521638940/.
Reynolds M. Reflection and critical reflection in management learning. Manag Learn. 1998;29(2):183–200. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.1177/1350507698292004.
Vigotski LS. Aprendizagem e desenvolvimento intelectual na idade escolar. In: Vigotski LS, Luria AR, Leontiev NA. Linguagem, desenvolvimento e aprendizagem. 11ª ed. São Paulo: Ícone; 2010. p. 102–17.
Raozzi A, Souza EP. Repensando a inteligência. Paideia (Ribeirão Preto). 2013;23(55):59–68. Disponível em: https://www.scielo.br/j/paideia/a/BpmxTfgcLhgc8zRrbZ3CkDk/.
Garay DL. Aportaciones del racismo científico al concepto de “inteligencia”: implicaciones para la investigación educativa en Puerto Rico. REDUCA. 2010;25:115–35. Disponível em: https://revistas.upr.edu/index.php/educacion/article/view/13538.
Maio MC. Dimensões das violências: desafios teóricos e políticos. Varia Hist. 2022;38(77):21–44. Disponível em: https://www.scielo.br/j/vh/a/X5CvGxCDL6cwG3cXmYHpbGj/.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Brazilian Journal of Health Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The Revista Brasileira de Pesquisa em Saúde (RBPS) adopts the CC BY 4.0 license, which means that authors retain the copyright of the works they submit to the journal. Authors are responsible for declaring that their contribution is an original manuscript, that it has not been previously published, and that it is not under simultaneous review by another scientific journal. Upon submitting the manuscript, authors grant RBPS the exclusive right of first publication, subject to peer review.
Authors are permitted to enter into additional contracts for the non-exclusive distribution of the version published by RBPS (for example, in institutional repositories or as a book chapter), provided that due acknowledgment of authorship and of initial publication by RBPS is given. Authors are also encouraged to make their work available online (for example, in institutional repositories or on their personal pages) after its initial publication in the journal, with due acknowledgment of authorship and of the original publication by RBPS.
Accordingly, under the CC BY 4.0 license, readers have the right to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially;
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms. Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
