Youth trajectories and the construction of organic intellectuals

Abstract

Based on the follow up of a young woman, we sought to understand how and what experiences contribute to the formation of more socially active young people – from a Gramscian perspective, organic intellectuals. The question is, therefore, which experiences have or have had an influence on the lives of young people that contribute or have contributed to construct processes towards social emancipation? To this end, an individual territorial follow-up—a social technology developed by social occupational therapy—was used resulting in descriptions and analyses of situations so that a young woman could engender movements of catharsis, highlighting her participation and protagonism in university extension actions, virtual environments, student guild events, and activities linked to a high school research program. It is expected that this study provide references for strategies to strengthen youth networks and foster the creation and expansion of different collective spaces where young people move about, whether in person or virtually, so that they can cope with the vulnerabilities that surround their everyday lives.