Abstract

MOURA, Yone Goncalves de; SILVA, Eroy Aparecida da  and  NOTO, Ana Regina. Social networks. Psicol. pesq. [online]. 2009, vol.3, n.1, pp. 31-46. ISSN 1982-1247.

This article reports that studies show that humans tend to fall sick when they realize that their social network has been narrowed or broken. In this study two qualitative techniques were used: participant observation and in-depth interviews, ethnographic of reference. Seventeen adolescents were interviewed. The systems observed were composed of different social segments that ranged from family, school, health services, specific institutions for people in streets circumstances, police, trading sector, trafficking and even the itinerant, passersby, drivers (especially the headlights) and the"brothers" of the street. For these adolescents the situation of vulnerability in the family environment appears to contribute to the early use of drugs. Glue has emerged as the substance mostly used by adolescents in street circumstances. Thus, it is essential to emphasize the responsibility of social networks to help families, children and adolescents decreasing the social detachment and reducing social inequalities in Brazil.

Keywords : Social networks; Adolescents at street circumstance; Drug abuse; Ethnography; Qualitative research.

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