History and policies on Special Education in Brazil: Theoretical- methodological foundations and research results/Historia e politica da Educacao Especial no Brasil: bases teorico-metodologicas e resultados de pesquisa

The main objectives of this study are: to discuss how the Marx's dialectic method, based on the concepts introduced by Antonio Gramsci, contributed to the analysis of the development of Special Education in Brazil (1932-1973), considering the actions of the Pestalozzi Societies; to present the historical review results based on the contributions of this author. Gramsci studies highlight the education and training of intellectuals and their role in building and maintaining social hegemony and state's domination. This theoretical framework has led to a more comprehensive analysis of the Pestalozzi Societies beyond their technical education purposes by considering their relationship with society and the state, thus leading to a better understanding of their historical role. Accordingly, the analysis showed that the actions undertaken by the Pestalozzi Societies, created in 1932, had significant influence in terms of the development of a hegemonic thinking about disabled people and the proposals for disabled people education by organizing the society to urge for the development of public policies and by managing and supporting educational actions concerning this population. This process, combined with political, economic, and social aspects of the country, such as the Ministerio da Educacao United States Agency for international agreements, led to the creation of the Centro Nacional de Educacao Especial in 1973. Therefore, the Pestalozzi Societies were of paramount importance in the development of public policies regarding Special Education in the country, creating institutions for the collective elaboration of cultural life, according to Gramsci's concept.