Street Kids in Search of Humanization: Expanding Dominant Narratives Through Critical Ethnography and Stories of Lived Experience

This study draws on social theories such as critical theory and poststructuralism to deconstruct the current dominant narratives about street kids in large urban centers in Brazil, as well as to ground the method of this study: critical ethnography. The writing genre I chose to represent the street kids I met during my fieldwork, from 1994 to 1996, is short stories. My main goal in the 14 short stories I write here is to show these kids daily struggle for survival and dignity, to offer a glimpse into their lived experiences, to invite others to feel, if only for a brief moment, what it is to be a street child in Campinas, Brazil. I see this study as a small first step toward expanding the narratives and imaginations about street kids, toward inviting more people to relate to these kids in more touching, experiential ways.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Human and Community Development

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Diversi, Marcelo

Contributors dc:contributor

• Reed Larson

• Sociology, Theory and Methods

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI9834668

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/87201