The original purpose of this thesis is to explore the possibility of setting up a school in Aotearoa (New Zealand) that operates according to the principles and philosophies of Summerhill School in Suffolk, England. An examination of Summerhill School is therefore the purpose of this study, particularly because of its commitment to self-regulation and direct democracy for children. My argument within this study is that Summerhill presents precisely the type of model Māori as Tangata Whenua (Indigenous people of Aotearoa) need in our design of an alternative schooling programme, given that self-regulation and direct democracy are traits conducive to achieving Tino Rangitiratanga (Self-government, autonomy and control). In claiming this however, not only would Tangata Whenua benefit from this model of schooling; indeed it has the potential to serve the purpose of all people regardless of age race or gender. At present, no school in Aotearoa has replicated Summerhill's principles and philosophies in their entirety. Given the constraints of a Master's thesis, this piece of work is therefore only intended as a theoretical background study for a much larger kaupapa (purpose). It is my intention to produce a further and more comprehensive study in the future using Summerhill as a vehicle to initiate a model school in Aotearoa that is completely antithetical to the dominant neo-liberal philosophy of our age. To this end, my study intends to demonstrate how neo-liberal schooling is universally dictated by global money market trends, and how it is an ideology fueled by the indifferent acceptance of the general population. In other words, neo-liberal theory is a theory of capitalist colonisation. In order to address the long term vision, this project will be comprised of two major components. The first will be a study of the principal philosophies that govern Summerhill School. As I will argue, Summerhill creates an environment that is uniquely successful and fulfilling for the children who attend. At the same time, it will also be shown how it is a philosophy that is entirely contrary to a neo-liberal 3 mindset; an antidote, to a certain extent, to the ills of contemporary schooling. The second component will address the historical movement of schooling in Aotearoa since the Labour Party's landslide victory in 1984, and how the New Zealand Curriculum has been affected by these changes. I intend to trace the importation of neo-liberal methodologies into Aotearoa such as the 'Picot Taskforce,' 'Tomorrows Schools' and 'Bulk Funding,' to name but a few. The neo-liberal ideologies that have swept through this country in the last two decades have relentlessly metamorphosised departments into businesses and forced ministries into the marketplace, hence causing the 'ideological reduction of education' and confining it to the parameters of schooling. The purpose of this research project is to act as a catalyst for the ultimate materialization of an original vision; the implementation of a school like Summerhill in Aotearoa. A study of the neo-liberal ideologies that currently dominate this country is imperative in order to understand the current schooling situation in Aotearoa and create an informed comparison between the 'learning for freedom' style of Summerhill and the 'learning to earn' style of our status quo schools. It is my hope to strengthen the argument in favour of Summerhill philosophy by offering an understanding of the difference between the two completely opposing methods of learning.

Abstract This thesis acknowledges the social and cultural importance of education and the role the institution plays in the construction of knowledge – in this case of young Nunga males. It also recognizes that education is a contested field. I have disrupted constructions of knowledge about young Nunga males in mainstream education by mapping and rapping - or mappin and rappin Aboriginal English - the theories of race, masculinity, performance, cultural capital, body and desire and space and place through the use of Nunga time-space pathways. Through disruption I have shown how the theories of race and masculinity underpin ways in which Blackness and Indignity are played out within the racialisation of education and how the process of racialisation informs young Nunga males’ experiences of schooling. The cultural capital that young Nunga males bring to the classroom and schooling environment must be acknowledged to enable performance of agency in contested time, space and knowledge paradigms. Agency privileges their understanding and desire for change and encourages them to apply strategies that contribute to their own journeys home through time-space pathways that are (at least in part) of their own choosing.

The existence of substantial socio-economic inequalities is one of the most fundamental features of the Brazilian society. Although educational inequality is not the only source of such socio-economic inequalities, it plays a major role, particularly regarding income inequality, both for current and for future generations. Acquiring a better understanding of the patterns of educational inequalities in Brazil is thus a relevant research topic, with implications for policy-making. The first part of the thesis contains a conceptual discussion in which we try to determine an appropriate definition of educational justice. We advocate the use of “essential educational achievements” as the relevant “currency of educational justice” and we defend a version of “equality of educational opportunity” in which the responsibility that is assigned to individuals increases as they grow up. While a remarkable quantitative improvement has taken place recently in Brazil, the situation concerning the quality of education is less clear. To explore qualitative aspects, in the second part, we turn to pupils' performance in standardized tests. Applying usual distributional assessment tools to such data, we map the intensity of educational inequalities in the country. Using recently-developed indices of inequality of opportunity, we assess the fairness of the Brazilian schooling system. Thus we identify both the areas where educational inequality is more intense, and those where educational unfairness is more severe. In the third part, we use econometric methods to investigate how the reallocation of educational resources could contribute to moving Brazilian educational system towards educational fairness. First, we evaluate the effect of teachers' wages on pupils' achievement, and our analysis suggests there is scope for Brazilian public schools to improve their human resources policies, with potential benefits accruing to low-performing pupils. Then, we analyze the reallocations of educational resources required to equalize educational opportunities, and we find that the redistribution of non-monetary inputs could considerably reduce the magnitude of the financial redistribution needed.

The dissertation analyses access to welfare resources within the areas of schooling, leisure and peer relations for youth in out of home care. The study was conducted in three counties in mid Sweden and is a replication of the recurrent Swedish surveys of living condition of children in general populations. By using the same design, children aged 13–18 (n=272) in foster care and residential care were approached. Throughout the analysis results are compared with conditions for peers living at home, based on data from the 2004/2005 survey on living conditions for children (Child-ULF). Furthermore the results are linked to the young people’s experience of psychosomatic complaints and emotional wellbeing and discussed within the theoretical framework of childhood sociology. Questions regarding society’s ability to convey resources to youth while in care as well as young persons’ potential to exercise determination while in care are also discussed. The study shows that youth in care in general have access to fewer resources than those in general populations in the studied areas. For youth in residential care the differences compared to peers living at home are substantial, while conditions for youth in foster care are more alike those of young people in general. Youth in residential care have fewer school related resources and fewer contacts with friends than peers living at home. Youth in foster and residential care are more subjected to bullying than the general population. The overall conclusions are that society, in the form of foster parents and residential staff fails in certain areas to convey resources to youth in care. The young people’s lack of resources poses limitations to their potential to exercise self-determination while in care. The study points out areas where targeted efforts might be needed to improve the living conditions for youth in out of home care and perhaps broaden their potential to exercise self-determination while in care as well as after. / Välfärd i samhällsvården? En levnadsnivåundersökning av barn och ungdomar i socialtjänstens dygnsvård

Ett övergripande mål för gymnasieskolan har länge varit att fostra eleverna till medborgare i ett demokratiskt samhälle. Därför gäller numera att elevernas ansvar för att planera och genomföra sina studier samt deras inflytande på såväl innehåll som arbetssätt skall vara viktiga principer i undervisningen. Syftet med studien är att studera elevernas inflytande i centrala undervisningsfrågor. Specifika forskningsfrågor i anslutning till syftet är: - Hur sker val av innehåll och arbetssätt och vilket utrymme ges åt elevernas inflytande? Förekommer det någon skillnad mellan olika ämnen? - Vilka kunskaper och vilket lärande lyfts fram och efterfrågas av elever respektive lärare i situationer då respektive grupp har inflytande över innehållet? - Hur uppfattar eleverna möjligheten till inflytande i olika arbetssätt? - Vilka faktorer uppfattar elever och lärare har betydelse för elevernas inflytande över val av innehåll och arbetssätt? Resultaten visar att kursplanerna har stor betydelse för innehållet i undervisningen. Elevernas möjlighet till inflytande kommer till uttryck bl. a. genom att påkalla handledning, avgöra svårighetsgrad på arbetsuppgifter och konstruera instuderingsfrågor. Förutsättningarna för att påverka kvaliteten på kunskaper och lärande varierar med ämnets legitimitet, elevernas studiekompetens och möjlighet till interaktion med läraren. Elevernas utrymme för eget ansvar, deras möjlighet till handledning och en variation avseende gruppsammansättning, arbetssätt och beslutsfattande är viktiga faktorer för att eleverna skall känna sig motiverade och intresserade av arbetet i skolan. Det visar sig finnas flera faktorer som inverkar negativt på elevernas möjlighet till inflytande exempelvis stoffträngsel och otillräckliga baskunskaper. Eleverna påtalar behovet av undervisning och handledning för att komma vidare i sina studier och kunna utöva inflytande. Avslutningsvis diskuteras resultatet i förhållande till John Deweys utbildningsfilosofiska tankar och relateras till läroplanen som styrfaktor, erfarenheten som grunden för undervisningens innehåll, frihet och möjlighet till växande och handledning som en nödvändig interaktion. / One of the overarching goals of Swedish upper secondary education is to foster students to become citizens in a democratic society. It is, therefore, essential that the students learn to take responsibility for planning and carrying through their studies. The aim of this study is to investigate whether students have any influence on central teaching matters such as the choice of subject matter and working methods and what types of knowledge and learning students and teachers, respectively, request in situations where either of these groups is in charge of the contents. The study is based on field work, interviews and document analysis and it is carried out in one upper secondary vocational class. The results demonstrate that the syllabi are very important for the contents of teaching. The students‘ opportunities to influence the choice are expressed, for instance, in asking for tutoring, in deciding the level of task difficulty, and in constructing advance questions. The conditions for influencing the quality of knowledge and learning vary with the legitimacy of the subject, the study competence of the students, and their possibilities to interact with the teacher. The students‘ possibilities to take responsibility and to be supervised by the teacher, as well as a variation as regards group composition, working methods, and decision making are important factors for the students to be motivated for and interested in schoolwork. There seems to be several factors that are important for the students‘ possibilities to influence, e.g., crowding of contents, and insufficient basic knowledge, and the students also comment on the need of teaching and tutoring in order for them to get further in their studies. In conclusion, the results of the study are discussed in relation to John Dewey’s educational philosophy, i. e. the national curriculum, experiences - the point of departure of the contents of teaching, freedom and opportunities to grow, and tutoring - the necessary interaction.

Le contexte familial influence probablement plus le succès scolaire des élèves de pays en voie de développement que ce que certaines recherches indiquaient jusqu’à présent (Nonoyama-Tarumi, 2008). Ce mémoire explore les relations entre le contexte familial et le parcours scolaire d’élèves Béninois dans le cadre d’une évaluation d’implantation et de processus du programme de bourses de la Fondation Sophie Lavigne (FSL). Au total 18 informateurs ont participé à la recherche. Les données ont fait l’objet d’analyses qualitatives. Les résultats montrent que le programme de bourses est mis en œuvre conformément à ce qui était attendu. Ce dernier facilite le parcours scolaire de toutes les participantes et parfois celui de leur fratrie. Par contre, les critères de renouvellement des bourses, en fonction de la réussite scolaire, ont peu d’influence positive sur leur parcours scolaire. Les causes d’échecs scolaires rapportées par les participants sont de deux ordres, (a) une accumulation de difficultés qui entravent l’étude et (b) un obstacle ponctuel important qui empêche la poursuite des études. Les familles interrogées valorisent grandement l’instruction. Dans la mesure de leurs moyens, elles tentent d’offrir les meilleures conditions de réussite scolaire possibles à leurs enfants. L’accès à du soutien scolaire tel des cours de rattrapage est nécessaire pour assurer des conditions d’étude optimales. À la lumière des résultats, la FSL aurait avantage à fournir plus de soutien scolaire aux étudiantes qu’elle accompagne et à revoir les critères de renouvellement de bourses. / One’s family background probably has a stronger influence on a student’s academic success in developing countries than many studies have shown up to now (Nonoyama-Tarumi, 2008). By means of an evaluation of both the implantation and processes of the Sophie Lavigne Foundation (FSL) scholarship program, this thesis deals with the relationships between Benin students’ family background and their academic trajectory. A total of 18 informants participated in the research project. The data was analyzed qualitatively. Generally speaking, the scholarship program has been established as was expected. Families that were interrogated greatly value education. To the very best of their abilities, they try to offer their children the greatest possible conditions for academic success. The scholarship program makes the academic trajectory of all participants easier and sometimes even positively affects their siblings’. However, the criteria for the renewal of the scholarships, which depend on academic success, have few positive effects on the participants’ academic trajectories. The causes for academic failures mentioned by the participants seem to be twofold: (a) an accumulation of difficulties that impair their academic trajectory (b) an important and specific obstacle that prevents a student from continuing her studies. It also appears that having access to academic support—remedial work for instance—is necessary in order to guarantee the best study conditions. The results of this research indicate that the FSL should provide students it accompanies with more academic support and reconsider the criteria for the renewal of the scholarships.

Social reform in the 1960's initiated growth in two seemingly separate educational movements in response to dissatisfaction with the traditional positivistic education system. These two movements, writing-across-the-curriculum (WAC) and homeschooling, share pedagogy and methodology based upon social epistemology, and they share two teaching techniques stemming from this methodology: collaboration and writing. While homeschooling was the successful method of education for centuries, the last two centuries have seen an evolution through the one-room schoolhouse to present day positivistic educational institutions. Language-centered teaching techniques have existed as long, beginning with such educators as Isocrates and continuing with such educators as Aristotle, Quintilian, Augustine, Erasmus, George Campbell, and Fred Newton Scott, and during the past two decades, WAC proponents have incorporated the use of collaboration and writing as instruments of learning in every discipline. Unfortunately, it is difficult to measure the effectiveness of these teaching techniques in existing WAC programs because of the number of variables involved. These techniques were measured in a homeschool situation, however, where the variables could be controlled. This ethnographic study, which took place during the Spring 1994 semester with three ninth-grade female students placed in a homeschool situation, used both quantitative and qualitative methods to measure the effectiveness of collaboration and writing in all disciplines. Pre-tests revealed that, at the beginning of this study, these three students performed at very different levels of ability ; regardless of ability, however, each experienced dramatic increases in learning. The quantitative measures, Wechsler Individual Achievement Test and Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking Essay Test, revealed unprecedented gains in math reasoning, reading comprehension, listening comprehension, oral expression, written expression, language composite, and critical thinking skills. These pre/ post-tests, triangulated with assessment of reading journals, daily journals, individual essays, collaborative essays, and video-taped sessions, produced a narrative which describes each student's characteristics, learning style and response to these learning/teaching methods. The results imply that homeschool education has been successful due to collaboration and writing. Furthermore, this study strongly suggests that collaboration and writing effect learning in all disciplines and recommends restructuring of traditional education to implement these teaching/learning techniques. / Department of English

Dans l’objectif de rendre intelligible les caractéristiques des parcours scolaires des enfants d’origine maghrébine en France, nous avons mené une étude qualitative et microsociologique dans des milieux défavorisés de l’Île de France. Notre intérêt a porté sur l’appréhension et le démêlage des éléments et des facteurs qui rendent possible ces parcours. Pour ce faire, nous avons opté pour une méthode biographique qui nous a permis de montrer que le profil et le parcours scolaires des jeunes rencontrés résultent d’un processus globale interactif et constructif dont plusieurs éléments, phénomènes et évènements interdépendants s’interfèrent et s’influencent. Ainsi, nos investigations montrent la primordialité de la dimension singulière et individuelle de chaque expérience scolaire. En revanche, la formation et la transformation d’un parcours scolaire ne se limitent ni à cette singularité ni à des conditions générales de vie et de scolarité des enfants d’immigrés maghrébins, mais sont le résultat de l’interaction continue de l’ensemble de ces éléments. Par ailleurs, les configurations et les histoires familiales demeurent un composant substantiel de ces éléments. Enfin, nous avons décelé, chez une importante partie de nos enquêtés et leurs familles, une forte volonté de réussite scolaire, comme seul moyen de leur ascension social. / The purpose of this paper is to give an intelligible account about the schooling characteristics of children living in France and coming from North Africa. We carried out a qualitative and micro-sociological study in underprivileged area of Région Ile de France. We devoted our interest on the apprehension and the disantanglement of the elements and factors making these schoolings possible. In order to achieve this, we opted for a biographical method that permits us to prove that the qualifications and the schoolings of the young people we have met result from a global interactive and constructive process of which several elements, phenomena and interdependent events interfere and influence one another. Thus, our investigations show how essential each school experience is in its uniqueness and its individuality. On the other hand, the formation and transformation of a schooling go beyond this singularity, the general living conditions and schooling of the children born to North African immigrants, but are the result of the continious interaction of all these elements. In addition, the types of families and their histories remain a substantial component of these elements. Finally, we identified among those surveyed and their families a strong will to succeed at school, this being the only way to go up the social ladder.

Il presente studio ha come obiettivo analizzare il sostegno educativo specializzato offerto ai bambini con disabilità nell'educazione per la prima infanzia. Trattasi di un universo d'indagine che ha favorito alcune domande: Che tipo di sostegno è offerto ai bambini piccoli e grandi con disabilità durante la frequentazione al nido e scuola dell’infanzia? Come si organizza il sostegno educativo specializzato nell'educazione per la prima infanzia? Qual è la configurazione dell'azione pedagogica rivolta all'educazione per la prima infanzia quando essa è concepita come un supporto ai bambini con disabilità? Dal punto di vista metodologico sono stati analizzati due contesti, un brasiliano e uno internazionale: Santa Maria, comune dello Stato di Rio Grande do Sul (Brasile) e Bologna, capoluogo della Regione Emilia Romagna (Italia). Basati sui contributi teorici del pensiero sistemico si possono trovare i principi che sorreggono il piano empirico metodologico dello studio, così come la dimensione pedagogica discussa nell'analisi dell'assistenza specializzata per i neonati e bambini piccoli con disabilità nelle fasi iniziali di scolarizzazione. L'opera di autori come Gregory Bateson, Humberto Maturana, Francisco Varela, Fritjof Capra e Heinz Von Foerster viene collegata ai principi guida della ricerca, mettendo in evidenza la complessità, l'instabilità e l'intersoggettività. In linea con l'approccio sistemico, si è optato per un disegno metodologico identificato con i principi del metodo cartografico, valorizzando la ricerca su ampia base bibliografica e l'uso dell'intervista. Nel contesto della Rete Scolastica del Comune di Santa Maria sono stati intervistati gli insegnanti di pedagogia speciale che lavorano presso il sostegno educativo specializzato nel nido e scuola dell’infanzia e il coordinatore dell'educazione speciale della rete. A Bologna, sono state intervistate le coordinatrici dei servizi per la prima infanzia della Rete Comunale. Il contatto con questi due contesti ha favorito l'emergenza di dimensioni considerate prioritarie: la consolidazione di un servizio di sostegno educativo offerto ai bambini piccoli e grandi con disabilità; la formazione dei professionisti coinvolti nel sostegno specializzato, specificamente quelli che lavorano con l'educazione per la prima infanzia; il lavoro condiviso sviluppato in modo collaborativo tra gli insegnanti curriculari e quelli di sostegno; il ruolo della documentazione nel contesto educativo; il piano educativo individualizzato e il piano del sostegno educativo specializzato; e le questioni collegate alla diagnosi. Tra le evidenze trovate, possiamo dire che entrambi contesti condividono aspetti politici che stanno valorizzando i processi di inclusione scolastica nel momento in cui riconoscono l'importanza dell'offerta di sostegno specializzato sin dai nidi e scuole dell’infanzia. È possibile individuare alcune differenze tra di loro, sia in termini storici, con i punti di inizio delle azioni relative a questo sostegno, sia nel modo in cui esso viene offerto. Nel contesto brasiliano, l'appoggio è ancora associato a una valorizzazione dell'aula di sostegno come il dispositivo pedagogico che assume la responsabilità di conduzione dell'intero processo. In Italia, il lavoro si sviluppa in un tessuto che intreccia l'azione di un maggior numero di professionisti a quella dell'insegnante specializzato rivolto al lavoro con il gruppo di alunni in senso ampio. / O presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar o atendimento educacional especializado oferecido às crianças com deficiência na educação infantil. Trata-se de um universo investigativo que favoreceu alguns questionamentos: Que tipo de apoio é oferecido a bebês e crianças pequenas com deficiência durante sua frequência à escola regular? Como se organiza o apoio educacional especializado na educação infantil? Qual a configuração da ação pedagógica dirigida à educação infantil quando essa é concebida como um suporte às crianças com deficiência? Do ponto de vista metodológico foram analisados dois contextos, sendo um brasileiro e outro internacional: Santa Maria, município do Rio Grande do Sul, no Brasil, e Bologna, capital da Região Emilia Romagna, na Itália. Com base nas contribuições teóricas do pensamento sistêmico, podê-se encontrar os princípios que sustentam o plano empírico metodológico do estudo, assim como a dimensão pedagógica discutida na análise do apoio especializado para bebês e crianças pequenas com deficiência em fase inicial de escolarização. Autores como Gregory Bateson, Humberto Maturana, Francisco Varela, Fritjof Capra e Heinz Von Foerster associam-se aos princípios norteadores da pesquisa, com destaque para a complexidade, a instabilidade e a intersubjetividade. Em sintonia com a abordagem sistêmica, optou-se por um desenho metodológico identificado com os princípios do método cartográfico, valorizando a busca ampla de análise bibliográfica e o uso de entrevistas. No contexto da Rede Municipal de Ensino de Santa Maria, entrevistou-se professoras de educação especial que atuam no atendimento educacional especializado nas escolas infantis e o gestor de educação especial da rede. Na cidade de Bologna, entrevistouse gestoras dos serviços de educação infantil da rede municipal. O contato com esses dois contextos permitiu a emergência de dimensões consideradas prioritárias: a consolidação de um serviço de apoio educacional oferecido a bebês e crianças pequenas com deficiência; a formação dos profissionais envolvidos no serviço especializado, especificamente, aqueles que atuam na educação infantil; o trabalho compartilhado desenvolvido de modo colaborativo entre os professores de sala de aula e do apoio especializado; o papel da documentação no contexto educacional; o plano educativo individualizado e o plano do atendimento educacional especializado; e as questões associadas ao diagnóstico. Dentre as evidências encontradas, podemos dizer que ambos os contextos compartilham de aspectos políticos que têm valorizado os processos de inclusão escolar ao reconhecer a importância da oferta do apoio especializado desde a etapa da educação infantil. É possível identificar algumas diferenciações entre eles, tanto em termos de um histórico que marca o início das ações relativas a esse apoio, quanto no modo como este apoio vem sendo oferecido. No contexto brasileiro, o apoio está associado ainda a uma valorização da sala de recursos como o dispositivo pedagógico que assume responsabilidade na condução do processo. Na Itália, o trabalho mostra-se configurado com uma espécie de rede, envolvendo um maior contingente de profissionais e a ação do professor especializado dirigido ao trabalho com o grupo de alunos em sentido amplo. / The present study had the purpose of analyzing the specialized educational assistance offered to children with disability in early childhood education. It is an investigative universe which favored some questioning: What type of support is offered to babies and young children with disability during their regular school? How is it organized the specialized educational assistance in early childhood education? What is the configuration of the pedagogical action aimed at early childhood education, when it is designed as a support to children with disability? From the methodological point of view, two contexts were analyzed, a Brazilian and an international context: Santa Maria, a city in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; and Bologna, capital of the region of Emilia Romagna, Italy. On the basis of the theoretical contributions of the systemic thinking, the principles which support the study empirical methodological plan may be found, as well as the pedagogical dimension discussed in the analysis of the specialized support to babies and young children with disability in their phase of initial education. Authors such as Gregory Bateson, Humberto Maturana, Francisco Varela, Fritjof Capra and Heinz Von Foerster are associated with the research guiding principles, with emphasis on complexity, instability and intersubjectivity. In line with the systemic approach, it was decided to use a methodological design, identified with the principals of the cartography, valuing a broad search for bibliographic analysis and the use of interview. In the context of municipal education in Santa Maria, teachers of special education who work at specialized educational assistance in early childhood education and a special education manager of the municipal system were interviewed. In Bologna, municipal managers of early childhood education assistance were interviewed. The contact with both contexts allowed the emergence of dimensions which are considered priority: consolidation of a service of educational support offered to babies and young children with disability; qualification of the professionals who are involved in the specialized service, mainly the ones who act in early childhood education; shared work between teachers and specialized support; role of documentation in the educational context; individualized educational plan and plan of the specialized educational service; and issues related to diagnosis. Among the found evidences, it is possible to verify that both contexts present political aspects which have valued processes of inclusive schooling, recognizing the importance of offering specialized support since early childhood education. It is possible to identify some differences between the contexts, as in relation to a history which marks the beginning of these support actions, as in the way this support has been offered. In the Brazilian context, the support is associated with resource room appreciation, as a pedagogical device which takes the responsibility of conducting the process. In Italy, the work is configured as a network, concerning higher contingent of professionals and the actions of the specialized teachers related to the work with the group of students in a broad sense.

This dissertation investigates the diverse ways in which the Portuguese language expanded in Brazil, despite the multilingual landscape that predominated prior to and after the arrival of the Europeans and the African diaspora. It challenges the assumption that the predominance of Portuguese was a natural consequence and foregone conclusion of colonisation. This work argues that the expansion of Portuguese was a tumultuous process that mirrored the power relations and conflicts between Amerindian, European, African, and mestizo actors who shaped, standardised, and promoted the Portuguese language within and beyond state institutions. The expansion of Portuguese was as much a result of state intervention as it was of individual agency. Language was a mechanism of power that opened possibilities in a society where ethnic, religious, and economic criteria usually marginalised the vast majority of the population from the colonial system. Basic literacy skills allowed access to certain occupations in administration, trading, teaching, and priesthood that elevated people’s social standing. These possibilities created, in most social groups, the desire to emulate the elites and to appropriate the Portuguese language as part of their identity. This research situates the question of language, identity, and power within the theoretical framework of Atlantic history between 1695 and 1822. Atlantic history contributes to our understanding of the ways in which peoples, materials, institutions and ideas moved across Iberia, Africa and the Americas without overlooking the new contours that these elements assumed in the colony, as they moved in tandem, but also contested each other. Focusing on the mining district of Minas Gerais for its economic and social importance, this dissertation draws on multiple ecclesiastical and administrative sources to assess how ordinary people and authoritative figures daily interacted with one another to shape the Portuguese language.