Educação sanitária, discurso eugênico e material de divulgação em saúde no âmbito estadual paulista

Abstract

The present work seeks to understand how eugenic thinking influenced the discourse of Sanitary Education, through analysis of the Collection of the Section of Advertising and Sanitary Education of the Department of Health of São Paulo, during the 1930s. This research, analyze documentary sources, especially the first series of the Collection, in the intention of identification as approximations between sanitary education and eugenics, were incorporate in the material. During the 20th century, the debate about public health issues had become central to political discussions and widely explored in the State of São Paulo. Thus, sanitary education was a strategic propagation of sanitary consciousness' ideas that belief in a lack of education could be one of the reasons for disease. It is also during this context that eugenics gained notoriety in Brazil and the world. In the country, the movement development was related to sanitation and had focused on venereal diseases, education, hygiene habits, and childcare, for example, to make society healthy and fit for work, and to overcome the country's problems. Therefore, this research has relevance beyond the period studied, as it relates to possible ruptures and permanences of this normative perspective in discursive practices in current health problems.