Acciones y fundamentos del trabajo del Cuerpo Médico Escolar en el Uruguay (1907-1927). La construcción de la normalidad en los cuerpos en el magisterio

Abstract

In this work, the functioning of the School Medical Corps (CME, for its Spanish acronym) in Uruguay between 1907 and 1927 is analyzed and it is argued that one of the most influential areas of its actions is the construction of normality in the teaching corps of teachers and student teachers. Normalization is a Foucaultian concept that refers to the regulation of the bodies of individuals (disciplines) and populations (biopolitics) and will guide the analysis of the actions of the CME, particularly those developed with student teachers, contestants for teaching positions, and in the annual recognition of the health status of teachers. The actions carried out by the CME are based on arguments that come from hygienism, superimposed with arguments typical of eugenics. For this work, an analysis was made of regulations, sessions and internal reports of the School Medical Corps; articles in Annals of Primary Instruction; CME reports in Primary Instruction Reports and manuals on Anatomy, Physiology and Hygiene and Home Economics.