The image of adult in the contemporary: an evaluation from young people about adults / A imagem do adulto na contemporaneidade: uma avaliação dos jovens sobre os adultos

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2008

RESUMO

The transformations took place during modernity and post-modernity changed in a significant way the relationship between the younger and older generations. In traditional societies, there was a hierarchy between the adult knowledge, based on past and tradition, and the acceptance of this knowledge by the younger people. The contemporary and its discourses provide a different scenario indeed, in which the adolescence is taken as an ideal, the speed of transformations is astonishing and the new, the modern has a predominant place in the values of the contemporary man. In that sense, images solidified by time and tradition change, altering relationships between young people and adults. The aim of this work was to investigate the image of adulthood that todays adolescents have, from the evaluation that they make of todays adults, from the sense that young people have of this place and from what they value in an adult. Participated in the research a total of 520 students from public and private high schools and the tool consisted of a questionnaire with 24 questions, each containing four options, and two open questions. The results reveal a tendency from young people to evaluate negatively the adults concerning their performances in the public sphere (political, environment, education and media) and question the adults capacity on those attributes traditionally attributed to that place (confidence, wisdom, model to be followed, ethical) and, nevertheless, 63% of individuals believed to owe obedience to todays adults. Money, unemployment and competition for jobs in the world were revealed as some of the greatest concerns of todays adults and of young people about their future. Apparently, the image of an adult, place of knowledge and guide for the younger ones doesnt show the consistency that it had in the past and few seem to be the possible models of admiration available for todays young people. The meaning of being an adult and occupying that place seems to lean toward a work and a construction exclusively personal and individual.

ASSUNTO(S)

values contemporary adults contemporaneidade jovens valores young adults adultos

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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