ETNOEJA: KNOWLEDGE, CULTURES AND IDENTITIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CONCEPT

Abstract

This article presents and grounds the concept of Etnoeja, proposed by Menezes (2024), as a theoretical-practical lens to understand Youth and Adult Education (EJA) through local knowledge, identities, and cultures of historically marginalized subjects. The proposal engages with the ethno-x field and debates on ethnic-racial relations, interculturality, and decoloniality, questioning the persistence of homogenizing and Eurocentric curricular models that often render community-based, territorial, and ancestral experiences brought by students invisible. Methodologically, the study adopts qualitative bibliographic research with a systematized search in academic databases and repositories, combining descriptors related to EJA, the “ethno” prefix, and the ethno-x field. As a complementary step, a terminological priority check for “Etnoeja”, including spelling variants, was conducted between August and October 2025 to identify prior use as a conceptual category. Within the consulted set, the term could not be found as a consolidated concept linked to EJA, supporting its presentation as a conceptual proposition. The article concludes that Etnoeja helps reposition EJA as a space of diversity and social justice, guiding pedagogical practices that recognize students as knowledge producers and strengthen the dialogue between curriculum and lived experience.