Abstract
This paper aims to analyze practices that permeate deaf education in the context of the period between 1934 and 1948. This historical moment is characterized by developments of modernization, industrialization and urbanization of the country, in line with the educational reform, remained in close relationship to the nationalization plan waged during the Vargas Era. It was used the Foucauldian concept of governmentality to execute the analysis of documentary sources maintained by the historical archive of the National Institute for Deaf Education - Ines. The analysis showed that the national identity of deaf people was mainly constituted by conduction/ normalization processes and dissemination of written Portuguese language and Brazilian sign language among the deaf people.
Key-words:
deaf education; Estado Novo; normality; conduction; deaf national identitiy