Jovens do ensino médio do Seridó paraibano: sentidos atribuídos a uma experiência de intercâmbio internacional

Abstract

The present research aimed to examine narratives of egressed secondary school students of a federal institute in the Seridó region of Paraiba State about their participation in a project carried out from 2016 to 2018, which culminated with an international academic cultural exchange. Considering the youths as social subjects who are constructed and, at the same time, constructors of their relations, the research aimed to study the implications the experiences of participating in the project brought to the students. Therefore, it seeked to examine how they convey sense to their participation in the project and in the international academic cultural exchange, which resulted from the project. This work is conducted under the perspective of the Cultural Studies and is linked to the qualitative approach. It is theoretically supported by the concepts of youths and youth cultures. The empirical material was produced through semi-structured interviews with the students and the research findings was analyzed from the perspective of the Content Analysis. It is expected that this study can contribute to the knowledge about youths, especially those from secondary school and least privileged social class ones. Based on the interview reports, it was possible to perceive that students attributed personal meanings to their participation in the Project, positively impacting the construction of themselves, their self-confidence, their capacity to overcome difficulties and adapt, as well as the development of new skills on the personal, academic and/or professional levels. The young people attributed meanings to the relationship with their peers, emphasizing aspects such as respect for differences, team work and union, as well as the interaction with other cultures. In their relationship with the teachers and the school, the reports show new academic-professional projections and gratitude as main aspects. The results obtained contribute to foster discussions and the construction of knowledge about young people in high school, especially young students from public schools.