Quem somos nós aos vossos olhos: um estudo em torno da identidade social da criança vivendo nos centros de acolhimentos

Abstract

The monograph under review focused on understanding the process of social construction of identity of children living in reception center. Our goal was to understand from the perspective of total institution and dramaturgical representation of the self, such as children living in shelters produced and represented their identity. We assumed whereby, children living in shelters do not produce a unique and particular identity but rather a hybrid identity, resulting on the one side of the rules and standards of conduct of the reception center on the other hand stigmatizing labels received from the surrounding community. We noticed that children living in reception centers are experiencing different experience prior to their admission to the reception center, because they came from different neighborhoods and regions. Some socialized in a single parent family resulting from the separation parents and others by death of one or both parents; others came with a history of abuse in the family which led them street through different processes of socialization and others, although both parents have been socialized in an environment of grace in meeting socio-economic needs. These aspects contributed to the construction of the identity of each child and influenced the way they noticed identity for themselves. However, when these children enter the shelter center, go through a process of self mortification, stripping them of their social arrangements that brought the wider society, to set them a new social identity (sheltered identity). This identity was produced by the type of conduct, the type of clothing, daily routine, access to television and the type of programs they could access. In order to avoid sanctions and acquire privileges children resorted to a disciplined and conformist behavior towards educators, however, when they interacted with the surrounding community, manipulated their identity using self-worth and discipline to tackle the stigma that the community surrounding attributed to these children. This way, when the children they were in the center, they activated sheltered identity and when interacting with the surrounding community manipulated the stigmatized identity