Training of Education professionals: political and social impacts of the relationship between mentors and mentees in postgraduate studies

Formação de profissionais da Educação: impactos políticos e sociais da relação entre orientador e orientandos na Pós-Graduação

Formación de profesionales de la Educación: impactos políticos y sociales de la relación entre asesores y estudiantes de Postgrado

Abstract

This article is a reflection on the close relationship between research and the training of Education professionals. Its aim is to highlight that research in postgraduate studies affects society in all aspects, especially in Basic Education. Therefore, the training of new researchers by mentors is a key component for the development of science in the country. Given this perception, the topic needs to be explored and investigated because the relationship between mentor and mentee constitutes the heart of postgraduate studies, and its outcomes impact everyone, as evidenced by the data from Inep presented in the article. It’s important to consider that postgraduate studies, by generating science and training professors in Higher Education who train new teachers, should not be overlooked. I emphasize that the presented formulations here demonstrate my position in teaching, my political action, in which historical knowledge is the vector of communal life. Therefore, it is crucial to debate the relationship between mentor and mentee in postgraduate studies because that’s where I believe essential discussions should take place.

Stricto Sensu; Postgraduate Studies; Higher Education; Basic Education; Professional Training; Mentor-Mentee Relationship

Resumo

O texto é uma reflexão sobre a estreita relação existente entre a pesquisa e a formação de profissionais da Educação. O objetivo é evidenciar que as pesquisas na pós-graduação interferem na sociedade sob todos os aspectos, em especial na Educação Básica. Em virtude disso, a formação de novos pesquisadores por orientadores constitui-se em peça chave para o desenvolvimento da ciência no país. Face a essa percepção, o tema precisa ser visitado e investigado, pois, a relação entre orientador/a e orientandos/as, constitui o coração da pós-graduação e os seus resultados atingem a todos, como atestam os dados do Inep trazidos no artigo. É preciso ponderar que a pós-graduação, ao produzir ciência e formar professores do Ensino Superior que, por seu turno, formam novos professores não pode ser descurada. Saliento que as formulações apresentadas aqui evidenciam meu lugar de docência, minha ação política, no qual o conhecimento histórico é o vetor da vida em comum, portanto, é por estar nele que considero essencial debater a relação entre orientando e orientador, na pós-graduação.

Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu; Ensino Superior; Educação Básica; Formação Profissional; Orientador/a-Orientando/a

Resumen

El texto es una reflexión sobre la estrecha relación entre la investigación y la formación de profesionales de la Educación. El objetivo es resaltar que la investigación de posgrado interfiere en la sociedad en todos los aspectos, especialmente la Educación Básica. Como resultado, la formación de nuevos investigadores por parte de tutores es un elemento clave del desarrollo de la ciencia en el país. Ante esta percepción, el tema requiere ser visitado e investigado, ya que la relación entre tutores y aprendices constituye el corazón de los estudios de posgrado y sus resultados afectan a todos, como lo evidencian los datos del Inep presentados en el artículo. Es necesario considerar que no se pueden descuidar los estudios de posgrado, a la hora de producir ciencias y formar docentes de Educación Superior que, a su vez, forman nuevos docentes. Destaco que las formulaciones aquí presentadas resaltan mi lugar de enseñanza, mi acción política, en la que el conocimiento histórico es el vector de la vida en común, por lo tanto, es porque estoy en él que considero fundamental debatir la relación entre tutores y estudiantes, a nivel de posgrado.

Postgrado Stricto Sensu; Enseñanza Superior; Educación Básica; Formación Profesional; Tutor

1 Introduction

I begin my text by declaring my discourse’s and work’s specific place. For over three decades, this place has been within teaching, research, extension, and guidance in the realms of philosophy and the history of Education. However, I must clarify that above all, I am a historian by ‘profession’, and the threads that weave my everyday life in my home—the University—are the texts, monuments, intellectuals, and medieval institutions. Thus, my engagement with research and guidance emanates from this political place in history that I occupy, one that holds memory as the foundation which shapes humanity through time.

I also caution that this place, within politics and history, aligns with Aristóteles (1985), warning us that every human action presupposes a purpose of good. The question to ponder is whether this good is common or individual. Bloch (2008) further accompanies us with his formulations, especially through the idea that history is a continuous background in which human actions resulting in historical events underpin society, regardless of the era. These two authors, with their respective assertions, serve as the premise for the following discourse.

Because I believe every human act results in something, I understand that the practice of teaching, research, and guidance is intricately linked to the BEING that constitutes, above all, a teacher. Therefore, it is by understanding that every action of an individual interferes with the life and actions of the ‘Other’ that I have constructed this text, weaving connections between the bonds between the mentor and the mentee. Subsequently, I seek to highlight that individuals whose formation originated from these relationships have a direct impact on the foundation of Brazilian society, specifically on children and adolescents in Basic Education¹.

2 A glance at Postgraduate Studies

In the current structure of Brazilian postgraduate studies, although the role of a researcher, active in postgraduate programs, is also intertwined with that of a professor, it does not necessarily mean that one is automatically both a researcher and a supervisor at the master’s and doctoral levels. In terms of the History of Brazilian Education and Public Education Policies, this integrative conception of Brazilian educational training is present in the Sucupira Reform of 1968. Right from its initial articles, it acknowledges the intrinsic need for a connection between teaching and research.

Art. 1 Higher education aims to research, develop science, literature, and arts and train university-level professionals.

Art. 2 Higher education, inseparable from research, will be provided in universities and, exceptionally, in isolated establishments, organized as institutions under public or private law (Brasil, 1968).

The law makes these two realms of Education one process, defining that wherever there is Higher Education, whether in colleges or universities, the link between teaching and research is inseparable (Oliveira, 2017).

Another aspect we must consider in the dialogue between research and guidance is how postgraduate Education was organized in Brazil. Here, we bring forth for our reflection one article by Professor Robert Verhine, titled ‘Postgraduate studies in Brazil and the United States: A comparative analysis’, published in the Education Journal in 2008. Although the reflections in this text are over a decade old, they undeniably bring forth certain aspects of Brazilian postgraduate Education that need to be pondered in contemporary debates.

An aspect to be observed initially is the fact that the Brazilian university is strongly influenced by the European model, despite the agreement between the Ministry of Education (MEC) and the United States Agency for International Development (Usaid), which created the idea that we follow the North American model, especially concerning master’s and doctoral degrees. Verhine informs us that both the admission process and the defense are distinct in Brazil compared to those practiced in North American universities:

The American model has been called a professional model, an organizational model, an approach driven by the course or program rather than the teacher. Students are formally enrolled in a postgraduate program and must follow a structured plan that involves the accumulation of credits/courses (conferences, seminars, mandatory and elective), examinations (qualifying, comprehensive, preliminary) (Verhine, 2008, p. 166).

In the United States (USA), students enroll in a Postgraduate Program regardless of the endorsement of a mentor, attend courses, engage in research activities, undergo assessments, without the direct oversight of a specific supervisor, as it happens in Brazilian programs, following the pattern of the European model.

The European model has been described as a learning model and as a tutorial approach. The center is the teacher-advisor. A doctorate is an apprenticeship acquired as part of an academic career, traditionally limited to those already employed at universities. As a result, in Europe, there are no formal obstacles like in the United States, only the supervised development and defense of a final (publicly defended) thesis or dissertation. The process is very personal and individualized. The study program is formulated for the student by the supervisor, and the former is subject to the wishes and preferences of the latter (Verhine, 2008, p. 166).

The European system, embedded in Brazilian universities, is entirely centered around the figure of the mentor, established through a relationship, as the author states, that is personalistic. The mentor is a tutor to the master’s and doctoral students, and it is a hierarchical relationship of power, where the postgraduate student is often passively subordinate to their mentor, whether in terms of the study subject, methodology, or theoretical assumptions. In other words, master’s and doctoral students often shape their work based on their mentor’s perspective. In my almost thirty-five years of university teaching, I have frequently heard colleagues claim that it’s only possible to supervise a good dissertation or thesis if there are theoretical and methodological affinities with the mentor’s field and research topic. Essentially, the investigation carried out by the mentee should reflect the research of the mentor.

Another aspect that deserves emphasis among the differences between postgraduate studies in the USA, compared to the recurrent practice in Brazil, relates to the defense stage, which aligns with the European model. According to Verhine,

Similarly, as in Europe, in Brazil, the final evaluation of the thesis/dissertation involves a public defense. In the United States, such a defense is rarely required. The student either defends his work in a closed meeting before a committee or simply obtains the signature of each of its members. The basis of the reasoning that supports the idea of public defense is that when the thesis or dissertation is produced in an individualized and personalistic environment, its quality needs to be ratified by the community as a whole. In the USA, the logic is that the formal structure of the course, involving a sequence of assessments (via courses, exams, and supervisory committee), constitutes a quality assurance (2008, p. 171).

This discussion is quite fruitful when considering the tradition of public defenses of theses and dissertations in Brazil. According to the author, as in the USA, the postgraduate student undergoes a series of formative and evaluative moments that would suffice to attest to the ‘quality’ of the dissertation or thesis. However, in Brazil, even though scholars take courses structured as credits according to the criteria of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes), the research itself is developed in a personal process confined to the student and the mentor. Precisely because of this, a public presentation becomes necessary to attest to the ‘quality’ of the completed work.

3 Do relationships between mentor and mentee result in knowledge/science?

Professor Romano (2002) analyzed this acknowledgment that in Brazil defenses must be public to attest to the quality of scientific research in various texts, especially in an interview where he addresses ethical issues in Brazilian scientific production, particularly in research and publication. The author highlights the patronage relationships established in Brazilian universities.

In my view, the personalized and patronage-driven ties established in universities, especially between mentors and mentees, reflect the intrinsic reality of relationships in Brazil, as well described and established by Victor Nuno Leal in the work Colonelism, hoe and vote. In the municipality and the representative system in Brazil,

The aspect that immediately stands out is that of leadership, with the figure of the ‘colonel’ occupying the most prominent place. Municipal political leaders are not always authentic ‘colonels’. The greater spread of higher education in Brazil spread doctors and lawyers everywhere, whose relative excellence, combined with qualities of command and dedication, qualifies them for leadership. But these same doctors are either relatives, relatives, or political allies of the ‘colonels’ (Leal, 2012, p. 23, our emphasis).

This passage from Nunes Leal portrays the existence of a figure surrounded by all other people, much like moths drawn to a light source. The colonel absorbs local interests and exercises control over people’s actions, expressing the power to govern another’s life. Even though this study is historically dated, from the 1940s, this analogy remains important, as the mentor often has control, at times quite strict, over the research of the mentee, establishing a relationship similar to that of the colonel in their municipality. Certainly, not every mentor-mentee relationship is based on a patronage-style connection, but the structure of postgraduate Education in the country is indeed indicative of this hierarchical power model commonly seen in the country².

This reality in postgraduate Education raises a pertinent question that we consider important to ponder. If knowledge tends to promote the freedom and autonomy of individuals, as seen in dialogues from Plato, for example, why would higher levels of research perpetuate personalized relationships based on submission?

The article by Ana Maria Netto Machado, ‘The compass of writing: about the function of thesis and dissertation guidance’, published in 2000, may give us clues as to why this reality persists in Brazilian postgraduate Education. The author poses a fundamental question: why is the backbone of postgraduate studies, the function of guidance, the subject of such limited studies? To answer this question, the researcher presents several arguments to highlight the importance of the topic, as it directly impacts the formation of new researchers.

One argument lies in the naturalization in Brazil where teaching, research, and guidance are intertwined as if these three activities were complementary, when in reality, they are distinct.

It must be said that ‘guiding and researching are far from merging into a single activity’. It is certainly not obtaining the badges of master or doctor that makes, through an initiatory rite, a researcher into a supervisor. A teacher, simply because he carries out teaching activities, is not a researcher. In general, a teacher is not expected to know how to research, although nowadays, teachers are increasingly encouraged to do research (Machado, 2000, p. 141, our emphasis).

Indeed, due to the Sucupira Reform having established the link between teaching and research, the relationship between these activities in Higher Education, especially in public universities, has become common or habitual. However, being a teacher does not automatically make someone a researcher, just as holding a doctoral title does not necessarily turn a researcher into a supervisor. Yet, in Brazil, having the title naturally tends to designate someone as a supervisor. In our view, the absence of debates and texts addressing the training of supervisors is already an indication that this is a topic that remains, at the very least, hidden. Nevertheless, this activity is at the core of postgraduate studies, as Machado aptly observes.

[...] ‘the role of the advisor’ seems to us to be precisely at the heart of the specificity of the training and qualification of postgraduate teachers, being a topic that, being part of the daily life of postgraduate teachers, is rarely taken as an object of study as such (2000, emphasis in the original).

This silence implies or results in weaknesses in the practice of supervision, which often contributes to fractured relationships or, when absent, to works with weaknesses. In the absence of clear and objective training on how to be a supervisor, the young doctoral candidate, upon assuming this role in scientific production, carries with them their experience as a previous mentee and often uses it as a model. If the experience was positive, they may try to follow the model of their former supervisor; if negative, they might attempt to act in opposition to that experience as an ex-mentee; or they may even repeat the same pattern, as breaking the cycle is often more challenging than maintaining it. Consequently, the primary activity of postgraduate studies, the one that promotes scientific innovation—or should promote it—is left to chance and the displeasure of positive or negative experiences. This perpetuates a model of personalized and individual scientific production³.

Another aspect worth noting in the discussion about the relationship to guidance activities is the lack of a formal training/preparation process for supervisors, similarly mirrored by the absence of a measurable evaluation regarding the outcomes of the supervisor’s actions. Naturally, the excellent outcome of a good dissertation or thesis serves as evidence of good supervision. However, this is not a foolproof assessment because outstanding theses might result from an excellent academic, independent of the supervisor. Similarly, weak works might have had good supervisors. Therefore, the guidance activity also lacks a clear evaluation compass.

The reflections presented in Costa and Nebel’s article, titled ‘How much is pain worth? A study on the mental health of postgraduate students in Brazil’, also offer insights into the relationship between mentor and mentee.

Having a good relationship with the supervisor, permeated by dialogue, is a fundamental element for completing a master’s or doctorate. In fact, in countless cases, the relationship between the student and the advisor is so close that they end up developing a bond of friendship that lasts for the rest of their lives. However, in many other cases, this can be an extremely troubled and harmful relationship, especially for the postgraduate student, as he or she is the one at risk of being disconnected from the program or having the scholarship canceled, for example. In virtual forums and discussion groups, reports of students complaining about their relationship with the advisor are quite common [...] (Costa; Nebel, 2018, p. 14).

The analysis presented by the authors is quite suggestive regarding the relationship between mentors and mentees, as it suggests that it is one reason for individuals’ illness within postgraduate studies, whether due to pressure for publications or due to lack of guidance. In reality, what the text considers is that the bonds between these two individuals, if established according to principles of cordiality and friendship, can be long-lasting and fruitful for society. However, if founded on animosity, they generate negative outcomes for everyone involved. It is important to consider that the fragile part of the process is the mentee, as they are always on the ‘razor’s edge’, given that the mentor holds the ‘power’ over their academic life. However, potential suffering or illness of the mentee affects society in various ways, as evidenced by Costa and Nebel.

Having made these assessments, readers might wonder, “Does the work of guidance then portray a ship adrift?” Not at all. What we aim to highlight is the need for Education, knowledge, experience, humanity, and above all, ethics in the execution of the task/function of mentoring. From this perspective, we understand, as Monica de la Fare and Pedro Savi Neto express in their text published in the Associação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Educação (ANPEd) Collection titled ‘The role of mentors in the ethical formation of their mentees and in research ethics. The idea of the mentor’s example’. The authors emphasize that the mentor should be the imago for the one being trained/guided. From the authors’ point of view, the mentor should represent the image to be looked up to, much like a mirror, if the formative actions of the mentor are primarily ethical and emancipatory.

The relationship between advisor and student is par excellence educational. Although there is a plurality of concepts of what constitutes an educational relationship, the etymological origin of the verb educate (e/ducare, from Latin) is sufficiently revealing to guide an argumentative line. Educating can be understood as the process of leading (dūcere) the student outside himself (e-ex) (Romanelli, 1959) and preparing him to live in the world, collectively with other forms of life (Fare; Savi Neto, 2021, p. 88).

It is important to consider that the considerations outlined in the quote are significant for reflecting on how to shape the figure of a mentor committed to the formation of new teachers, researchers, and consequently, new mentors. Their premise should be the conception of Education that moves the individual from their current condition towards becoming a person capable of ethical interaction. Ethics, in this context, is not solely associated with an individual’s behavior but is linked to the set of definitions presented by the authors in the quote.

In another passage of the study, Fare and Savi Neto (2021, p. 92) reinforce the idea that Education is amalgamated with ethical actions: “The idea of the inseparability between formation and ethics has accompanied humanity since the earliest formative projects and needs, perhaps more than ever, to be recovered and reinforced [...]”. I agree with the authors in that the act of teaching, researching, and mentoring must consider that Education is a process of emancipation whose aim should be to make people better individuals. In other words, capable of interacting with other members of society in pursuit of the good as presented by Aristotle over twenty centuries ago. Therefore, the authors assert that Education and ethics/Education with ethics are part of humanity. Consequently, it cannot be considered ‘natural’ for mentors not to consider that the act of mentoring is educating, transforming, and enhancing the ethical attitudes of their mentee, and it is only under these conditions that they can become an imago.

Thus, I consider it relevant to revisit some principles about knowledge established in the medieval period, during which students in the 12th and 13th centuries sought more than just a teacher to attain knowledge; the idea of exempla was highly prevalent. Obviously, the relationship was also personalistic, but the records do not indicate submission-based relationships as we see today, since many apprentices challenged and surpassed their masters, as exemplified by Peter Abelard (1079-1147) in relation to Anselm of Laon (1050-1117).

One of the most exemplary figures representing this concept of study and knowledge in the 12th century is Hugh of Saint-Victor in his work Didaskalia: On the art of reading. This text stands as a milestone in the history of Western medieval Education and holds valuable insights. In the preface, the author defines three rules necessary for study and reading: “[t]here are three rules most necessary for reading: first, to know what should be read; second, in what order it should be read, what to read before, what after; third, how it should be read” (Saint-Victor, 2020, p. 45)⁴. The advice from this professor suggests that one cannot study without knowing the purpose of the study. Therefore, it is essential to know what to study, in what order the study should be conducted, and how the study should be undertaken. If the mentor does not know how to study and guide, they will not be able to structure the formation of their academic mentee.

Next, Hugh of Saint-Victor emphasizes that the purpose of knowledge is wisdom. Therefore, all those who dedicate themselves to studies should seek it: “Of all things to be sought, the first is Wisdom, from which resides the form of perfect good” (Saint-Victor, 2020, p. 47)⁵. And wisdom, whose dwelling is within the intellect of humans, would be divided into two parts:

Intelligence, in turn, […] is divided into two parts: 1) one theoretical, that is, speculative, and 2) the other practical, that is, active, and this is called ethics, that is, moral. Science, on the other hand, since it carries out human actions, is appropriately called mechanics, that is, adulterates (Saint-Victor, 2020, p. 69)⁶.

The theoretical aspect of humanity is linked to the exercise of speculation. Therefore, it encompasses our ethical and moral principles, but it also emanates the knowledge that is evident in our practical actions. Following this maxim, the mentor would need the wisdom/knowledge to guide and show the path of wisdom and knowledge to those who will succeed them in society and in academia.

Finally, a maxim from Hugh of Saint-Victor that could help us in the formation of the mentor, humility:

The beginning of moral discipline is humility, of which there are many teachings, three of which most interest the student: 1) first, not to refute any science or writing as of little value, 2) second, not to be ashamed to learn from anyone, 3) third, do not despise others after having achieved knowledge (2020, p. 155)⁷.

Therefore, the moral and intellectual wisdom, materialized in our research and actions, surrounded by the virtue of humility, could be an important path both in the formative journey and in the practice of mentoring in Postgraduate Programs. It could serve as a powerful antidote against what Teresa Haguette defines as the ‘inexperienced and incompetent doctor’ in the chapter titled ‘University: behind the scenes of knowledge production’.

To the type of inexperienced doctor, another must be added, perhaps more harmful to the process of development of science: the incompetent doctor, one who does not recognize their limitations and who passes on their theoretical and methodological vices to their students, contributing to releasing in the market lame professionals and researchers (Haguette, 2002, p. 377).

According to the author, arrogance and ignorance are two of the University’s ailments in Brazil. In light of this realization, we reiterate the importance of learning from the Victorin Master the value of wisdom and humility to contribute to scientific production in the country. This will happen through the training of mentors.

These behind-the-scenes aspects, as described by the author, rarely undergo critical examination within departments and Postgraduate Programs. They constitute what we might consider a ‘field of untouchable topics’ that, when brought to light, cause discomfort and embarrassment. No debate on these issues is possible among those who do not acknowledge their limitations. According to Haguette, this nurtures and spreads theoretical and methodological flaws, most likely compromising the credibility of the work done, as the professionals and researchers being trained to show less commitment to the quality of their activities.

4 Influences of Research on Basic Education

Considering this issue from the perspective of the Humanities, specifically in the realm of teacher Education (Oliveira, 2018), it is possible to perceive this qualitative stagnation amid the quantitative increase in the number of individuals with Higher Education. This is directly linked to the mentees graduating from Postgraduate Programs.

A decade ago, in the ‘Higher Education census’ of 2013, it was observed that Brazil has rates above the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average regarding the number of entrants and graduates in Higher Education. It is also possible to verify a significant increase in the number of individuals entering postgraduate programs in different fields.

The ‘School census’ of 2018 indicates that 80% of teachers in Basic Education hold a Higher Education degree. According to the Education at a glance report from 2023, the country is among those that invest proportionally the most in Higher Education, allocating $14,735 annually per student, slightly below the OECD average of $14,839. This investment is four times higher than what is spent on students in basic Education, who receive $3,583 per year (the OECD average being $10,949).

The ‘School census’ of 2020 shows that 65% of teachers working in undergraduate courses hold a Ph.D. Therefore, one might assume that with this level of investment in Higher Education, Brazil would be producing increasingly qualified teachers to tackle the issues in public Education. Basic Education, facing limited financial resources, would certainly have access to progressively more skilled human resources. However, the Índice de Desenvolvimento da Educação Básica (Ideb) assessments reveal a picture of learning in schools that is almost stagnant. The index, which in 2013 was 4, rose to 4.9 by 2021 in the final years of elementary Education. Despite significant increases in these indices, the fact remains that since assessments began in 2005, most children have continued without learning the minimum required. In 2013, they scored 239.39 in Portuguese and 243.79 in math in the 9th grade, while in 2021, the scores were 254.88 and 252.04, respectively. The percentage of students in the same grade who achieved adequate learning in Portuguese was 35%, maintaining almost the same level since 2017. In math, only 15% of students learned adequately in 2021, down from 16% in 2017.

The fact is that, despite the percentage of teachers with doctoral degrees in Education programs has gradually increased, along with the federal government investing as much as wealthier nations in these Higher Education programs, and that 80% of teachers hold a college degree, receiving instruction from 65% of professors with doctorates, as well as the fact that all this Education costs the public coffers four times more than the basic Education of younger students, this increase in human resources quality did not significantly alter the learning rates of these children. Out of all the children who began elementary Education in Brazil in 2012 in public schools, only 15% learned what they should have in math by 2021.

It is a visible problem that sometimes undergoes a stringent examination to attribute this failure to external factors. The internal scrutiny within educational institutions by their teachers and researchers does not always follow the same rigor.

5 Final considerations

As a conclusion to these reflections, far from bringing final thoughts, I emphasize the idea that the practice of a teacher, whether in academia or in schools, values science as transformative knowledge. However, the scientific approach is not always used to analyze their own profession. The social impact of research and guidance can be seen as closely linked to the self-awareness of the individuals involved in the process. The subjectivity of the professional requires an examination that considers the objectivity of the results of all their effort and dedication. Noting this fact often leads to the idea that one is trying to blame the teacher for all the problems. However, it’s precisely the opposite; reflecting on teaching practice is taking responsibility for what we do and even having the ability to define it, without being subject to the arbitrariness that can occur when we avoid discussing the problems that certainly exist. Teachers and mentors tend to implicitly teach this conduct to their students and mentees. For this reason, the humility advocated by Hugh of Saint-Victor can be a path to be followed not only by the student, but it humanizes, especially, the teacher and the mentor, by creating space to evaluate, adapt, and enhance teaching and guidance, which fundamentally should lead to learning.

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• VERHINE, R. E. Pós-graduação no Brasil e nos Estados Unidos: uma análise comparativa. Educação, Porto Alegre, v. 31, n. 2, p. 166-172, maio/ago. 2008.

• 1
  Dada: The data underlying this article are disclosed in the text itself.
• 2
  By reflecting on patrimonialist relations in Brazil, based on Nuno Leal, we are not inferring that our past condemns us to live forever in a submissive relationship. We are not naive enough to disregard the fact that in other places on the planet, social relations, and particularly those between advisees and advisees, are not verticalized and that this ‘sin’ only occurs below the equator. On the contrary, we know that in many other places, relationships are hierarchical, but in this text, we are dealing with the Brazilian reality and not with any other space, and in this place, relationships have a history and a memory that cannot be ignored.
• 3
  The discussion about the relationship of subordination between advisor and student can also be observed in the context of publications. It is also increasingly institutionalized in the practice of the advisor becoming a co-author of the products resulting from the student’s research. According to Souza et al. (2018, p. 182), it has become natural in several Postgraduate Programs for academics to indicate their advisors as co-authors. The problem we are dealing with, in fact, is gradually taking on the contours of an increasingly institutionalized practice, in a strong sense. We can, in fact, point to the existence of a particularly rigid and difficult-to-combat modality of the “vertical” relationship between advisor and student, regarding the issue of co-authorship. It comes in the wake of the formal requirement, on the part of some postgraduate programs, for postgraduate students to accept that their advisors automatically appear as co-authors of all student publications.
• 4
  Please note that, when citing Hugh of Saint-Victor’s work, references in the body of the text will comply with ABNT standards and, in a footnote, will be referenced following international standards. Hugh of Saint-Victor, Didascálicon. Sobre a arte de ler. Prefácio.
• 5
  Hugo de Saint-Victor, Didascálicon. Sobre a arte de ler, L. I, c. 1, § 1.
• 6
  Hugo de Saint-Victor, Didascálicon. Sobre a arte de ler, L. I, c. 8, § 3-6.
• 7
  Hugo de Saint-Victor, Didascálicon. Sobre a arte de ler, L. III, c. 13, § 1.
• Data: The data underlying this article are disclosed in the text itself.

• Funding: Thanks to CNPq for financing the study through a Productivity Grant. Process: no. 307523/2021-7.

Data availability

Data: The data underlying this article are disclosed in the text itself.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  02 Sept 2024
• Date of issue
  July 2024

History

• Received
  12 Dec 2023
• Accepted
  03 July 2024