Espaços de pertencimento e circulação: vivências de egressos do sistema socioeducativo na cidade de Manaus

Abstract

Young offenders who have been through the socio-educational system have been the subject of research that examines the issue of adolescents committing an infraction. Studies show the difficulties the youths face when leaving socio-educational institutions, given the persistence of vulnerability frameworks that are part of the configuration of the lives of adolescents and youths even after they complete their time in the institutions. Despite some aspects remaining unchanged in the lives of the adolescents leaving the socio-educational institution implies changes and displacements: one of the displacements is the use of terminology. To be an ex-offender. Another displacement refers to the spatial dimension: a youth moves from a specific place – a socio-educational unit – to another place, where they will determine their own path after fulfilling the demands of the judicial decision. The ex-offender’s movement from one space to another implies change and facing the challenges arising from this new condition. This is relevant to understanding aspects relative to their trajectory from these places and the relations established in these contexts, in order to elaborate strategies of intervention that aim at protection and inclusion as citizens. The present research has as its objective the scrutiny of the social maps that reveal the trajectories of the ex-offenders from the socio-educational system, focusing on the relationship between spatiality, experiences and senses, in order to know and understand the living reality of these subjects. As partial objectives, it was proposed to construct social maps of the individual trajectory of each participant in the research, starting from the point at which they are characterized as leaving the socio-educational system; investigating the institutional and interpersonal bonds related to the ex-offender’s trajectory; verifying how the ex-offenders identify the elements of their trajectory, in terms of resources and adversities in the demands of everyday life; and understanding the relationship between the ex-offenders’ places of circulation and their active participation in terms of autonomy and citizenship.The theoretical base of the study consists of an interdisciplinary dialogue between Anthropology, Geography and Social Critical Psychology. The methodology is of a qualitative nature, utilizing the preparation of social maps in an adaptation of Social Cartographies’ strategies used in the Social Sciences. The participants were ex-offenders from a youth detention unit in Manaus, Amazonas. The content of the maps was explored by interviewing each individual, and the method of Content Analysis was used to examine the data. In the results it was identified that the space-time relationship proved to be a key analytical category for the understanding of young people's experiences and their relation to space. In general, the youths’ places of circulation included institutions like school, family and work, even though they present these aspects in a singular way. The church figured as a signifcant place of belonging for one of the youths. The resources for facing difficulties depended more on individual circumstances of each of the interviewees than the existence of formal support. Autonomy was highlighted as an important aspect so that the youths felt in control of their own trajectory. The challenges were identified as having a low level of education, difficulty in finding formal employment, and living in neighbourhoods considered risk areas. In conclusion, it can be said that in its complexity the spaces can be predominantly characterized as restrictive or emancipating and enabling, yet, the same space could offer the duality of vulnerability and protection to the youths.