Schooling and/or educating? The sociology teaching perspectives in basic education

The Normative Act nº 38/2006 of the National Council of Education transforms Sociology and Philosophy into obligatory disciplines in Brazilian schools starting at the school year of 2008. This way, it becomes fundamental the recapturing of researches focusing on questions of methodological and didactical order that object the construction of programs that legitimize and qualify these curricular components. This work wishes to place Sociology teaching in Rio Grande do Sul and to argue proposals of teaching work based on Freire’s referential of a situated pedagogy and the empowerment of the citizens. We start at bibliographical research and statistical data in the interface between Social Sciences and Education, as well as of our experience as educators and researchers. This quarrel points to a didactic proposal that has relevance for the educator and the learner, endowing the pedagogical act with sense.