This research investigated the subjective dimension of social inequality by analyzing life projects of rich and poor young people. We understand that the social inequalities of Brazil constitute a complex social phenomenon that must be investigated both on its objective and subjective dimensions. By investigating the latter dimension, we aim to highlight the presence of subjects that are not a mere consequence of unequal social reality; they constitute it and, at the same time, are constituted by it. Each participant was asked to write two essays: The first one about his own life project; the second one about the life project of a young person from the other unequal social class. The life-project essays were taken as methodological tools to capture the subjective dimension of social inequality. Guided by the theoretic-methodological perspective of socio-historical psychology, we looked for elements of significance – sense and meaning – of young people about themselves, in the relation with other young people from the unequal social class, in a society characterized by socio-economic inequalities. We realized that social inequalities were naturalized by our subjects and justified by personal efforts or family heritage. We also found an emphasis on significances that valorize the way-of-life of the rich as a model to be followed, and a correlative depreciation of poor social classes. Beyond the significances constituted upon the young people writings, we highlight that the subjective dimension of social inequality is configured on the silence of these subjects about their unequal ones.
Youth; Life project; Social exclusion; Richness; Poverty