Abstract

ORIONTE, Ivana  and  SOUZA, Sônia Margarida Gomes. The meaning of abandonment for children in institutions. Psicol. rev. (Belo Horizonte) [online]. 2005, vol.11, n.17, pp.29-46. ISSN 1677-1168.

This research aims to understand the meaning of abandonment for children in institutions &– five children between seven and eleven years of age, two girls and three boys, in a shelter institution in the city of Goiania-State of Goiás. Vigotsky’s cultural-historical psychology, based on dialectical thought, was the basis for this research, which followed the epistemological principles developed by Gonzalez Rey. The methodological resources were: semistructured interview, active observation and documental research. From that investigation three categories of meaning became evident: invisibility, transgression and affective bonds. It was verified that children‘s voice is marked by invisibility and it rarely reaches the directors of institutions; therefore it is necessary to design public policies beyond an adult perspective, so as to satisfy the children’s needs.

Keywords : Social Psychology; Social exclusion-inclusion dialetics; Childhood; Abandonment; Istitutionalization.

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