This text reflects on the nature of the relations between youngsters and the city, by privileging the sphere of the consumption; essential dimension in the personal identity construction in this stage of life. The reflections are made from a research conducted in a specific area of the Federal District, Estrutural city, which composes the urban space of the capital of the Country. When compared to local standards, this is considered a poor area; the youths who live there are marked by this condition, which, on one hand, leaves them socially vulnerable, and on the other, produces a resistance that is revealed through their behaviour in daily life. One observes, in this case, a double determination of the social status of these youngsters: the place where they live and their age, i. e., they are stigmatised, on one hand, and vulnerable on the other; they create a way of particular social existence, which assists us in understanding the social bonds in the city.
city; youth; consumption; ways of life; socialization