Sowing Environmental Justice and Gestating Lives

Motherhood and Research in Geography Education

Abstract

This article reflects on the experience of conducting a master's research project during pregnancy and early motherhood, articulating academic trajectory, teaching practice, and commitment to environmental justice. The study was carried out in a public school in the district of Tamoios, Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and investigated the contributions of critical environmental education associated with social cartography to addressing environmental racism and environmental injustices in Geography teaching. The qualitative participatory research involved 35 middle school students in workshops focused on critical readings of their territory and the collaborative construction of a map of local environmental injustices. The findings showed that students recognize socio-environmental problems present in their daily lives, although their political awareness is still under development. The activities fostered reflections on territorial inequalities, collective responsibilities, and possibilities for social transformation. At the same time, the article discusses the challenges and tensions experienced by the author while balancing pregnancy, motherhood, teaching work, and academic training. It is concluded that motherhood did not interrupt scientific production; rather, it reshaped the research experience, strengthening an ethical commitment to education, care, and the construction of more environmentally just societies.