Poupança Jovem: novo protagonismo ou reprodução de desigualdades

Abstract

This study analyzes income transfer programs to young audience - through Poupança Jovem Program - and the representations built by individuals involved in these processes. It approaches the problem of insertion of the young in society as "protagonist". The study directs the eye to the question of the ways in which the subject perceives and assimilates the elements provided by the programs; such as financial benefits, job training and human formations guided by overarching themes. The research focuses on the application of the concept of "social representations". It starts from the argument that representations are built by these subjects about the income transfer programs, legitimating discourses. It approaches the income transfer programs from their control methods, their dynamics guided by the operationalization controlled by the State. Under this scenario, it has been sought to highlight the incongruity between the ideological organization of certain programs and their actual realization, arising from the deliberations of government. In line with the national scene is the urban environment of Montes Claros / MG, which, therefore, is the locus of field research. The study in loco realized in 2012/2013 aims to verify the aspects which guides the currently interventions performed towards the young under the discourse of youth protagonism, to identify how the youth have assimilated the scholarship and their investment pretensions. We seek to investigate whether young people during the three year period in which they were assisted by Poupança Jovem realized that some courses were offered only partially and others neglected. The research discusses material and symbolic values shared in the social interactional contexts of assisted subjects, which, in turn, have reverberated into forms of representations. Finally, it seeks to understand whether Poupança Jovem Program has represented a way to promote "youth protagonism" or has contributed to the naturalization and multiplication of social inequalities. The methodology of this study was based on the applicability of questionnaires and interviews. There was evidence that the young students of the 3rd year of the public schools of the city of Montes Claros have appropriated and reproduced overwhelmingly positive representations of Poupança Jovem Program, which suggests an uncritical youthful identity reality towards the negligence of this program.