Significados sobre el transito a la vida adulta en jóvenes habitantes de calle

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to understand the meanings of young street inhabitants about their transit to adult life, in order to define their future trajectories and scenarios. It is based on the premise that the emerging adult is a poorly studied age group, which requires consideration of a set of factors, not only personal but contextual. Therefore, the works of Arnett (2000) are taken as theoretical references in order to develop a systemic explanation of the phenomenon. To achieve the objectives, an investigation was carried out through the biographical method, with a sample of three (3) inhabitants of the street of the city of Bogotá, aged between 18 and 25 years. The collection techniques were participant observation and life story. The information in the stories was organized into deductive and inductive categories, allowing the reconstruction of information units to give answers to the objectives. As a result, information was obtained on the meanings of life on the street, the contexts in which it develops and the scenarios of life in the future, appreciating that the trajectories are marked decisions linked to situations of family conflict and drug use , which puts these young people in a situation of social vulnerability. On the other hand, the meanings that young people attribute to their trajectories are determined by external attributions and to a very small extent, by their own responsibilities.