Accessibility and cultural mediation: a reflection and approach between conceptions— Amanda Midori
Abstract
This study carries out a critical conceptual reflection about the terms "cultural mediation" and "accessibility", aiming to broaden understandings on the conceptions activated from the sense given to the terms, thus complexifing the ways of acting in the area. Based on a theoretical approach, the research is based on international regulatory frameworks and on Brazilian legislation and publications that present the national positioning related to the topic. First, the terms are independently analyzed and then revised when applied jointly in the Brazilian context. The survey of conceptions about "cultural mediation" brought the understanding of the cultural mediator as an agent that potentiates the construction of interpretations and social exchanges, reexamining itself critically through metamediation. In turn, the conceptual transformations of the term "accessibility" oriented towards the promotion of the inclusion of all people. It is concluded that in Brazilian cultural institutions "cultural mediation" and "accessibility" need to go beyond the delimitation of the educational services in order to achieve a full sociocultural inclusion of individuals and communities.
Presentation Proposal
The meanings of words matter. They give us direction. They carry intentionalities. As Paulo Freire tells us, words are pregnants with the worlds, incorporating life experiences and cultural contexts that are generators of each reader-subject. Reflecting on the meaning we give words can transform our interpretation of texts, causing changes in the way we relate and affirm in front of them and the contexts where some words inhabit.
In this communication we will look some possible conceptions for the terms "cultural mediation" and "accessibility", in order to know and expose different positionings and delimiting those that reflect the framework and orientation that we consider to be relevant for the use and reflection on such terms in the present.
Based on a theoretical approach, this research was initiated from a bibliographical survey of scientific and academic productions, through which it was aimed to recognize the state of production of knowledge in the Brazilian context about the thematic articulation "accessibility and cultural mediation", identifying possible conceptual developments among themes. It is important to mention that we searched for texts that not only exposed practices carried out in the common field between accessibility and cultural mediation, but which conceptualized and contextualized the sense adopted in the use of both terms in their practices. This literary research, as an initial investigation procedure, led us to note that in the last eleven years there has been increasing academic and scientific production in Brazil in the area of thematic articulation "cultural mediation and accessibility", with different objectives of study, but are still few studies that in their elaborations develop accurate critical postures and reflections about the concepts in question. This situation justifies and encourages the development of this research, from which we intend to contribute to the constitution of a theoretical support related to the elaboration of a conceptual basis on the thematic articulation in focus that allows us to redefine our actions when we move in “cultural mediation” and “accessibility”, rewriting the terms and their uses, being aware of which conceptions may be activated based on the meaning we give the terms in our practice.
To do this, we will use regulatory frameworks and current legislation published by different agencies — Brazilian and international — that will help us to keep in line with contemporary thinking and we will visit Brazilian publications that will present the local positioning related to the terms. At first, the terms will be analyzed independently of each other, and then revised when applied jointly in the Brazilian context.
By means of understanding some of the different conceptions of “cultural mediation” and “accessibility” that may exist, we intend to find the meanings in common between the two terms and how one term might potentiate the applicability of the other. Therefore, we will formulate here a conceptual approach that can lead us to the perception of “cultural mediation” as “accessibility” and “accessibility” as “cultural mediation”, something that we will find possible or not by walking on this reflective path.