ADOLESCENTS: DO THEY EXIST? IMAGINARIES OF A LIFE SUSPENDED (IN SUSPENSE)

Abstract

This article presents the account of a research project conducted within the scope of the Programa Interações (Interactions Program), an initiative aimed at overcoming the effects of the floods that struck Rio Grande do Sul in 2024. The action-research project sought to reframe social bonds affected by the catastrophe, encompassing the dimensions of the Self, the Other, the Community, Spaces, and Nature. Grounded in Doltonian Communicology, the program aimed to identify and understand the perceptions of adolescents from a municipality in the state regarding their bonds in the post-flood context. The methodology included observation, focus groups, and in-depth interviews. The results reveal the adolescents’ social imaginary-highlighting both anguish and hope-and show how their symbolic elaborations shape reality and interpersonal relationships. The article emphasizes the importance of public policies targeted at this age group, considering their specificities and the context of symbolic vulnerability in which they find themselves.

Keywords:
Catastrophe; Imaginary; Adolescent