Experiências educativas em unidade socioeducativa com privação de liberdade para jovens em João Pessoa/Paraíba

Abstract

This research analyzes educational experiences conducted with adolescents and young people deprived of liberty in socio-educational facilities in the city of João Pessoa, Paraíba, through the lens of Freirean-inspired Social Pedagogy. The specific objectives are to: present youth within the context of socio-education in Brazil; discuss Freirean-inspired Social Pedagogy as a framework for thinking, feeling, and acting in educational processes aimed at socially excluded adolescents and young people; and present and analyze socio-educational workshops held in facilities where liberty is restricted, identifying the presence of Social Pedagogy elements within them. This study is based on a review of literature and documents, drawing on academic research regarding socio-education in Brazil and the foundations of Social Pedagogy, as well as records of workshops conducted in these facilities. The results indicate that the workshops—and the theoretical-methodological processes guiding them—demonstrate principles of Freirean-inspired Social Pedagogy, particularly those related to the concepts of community, language, and emancipation. Although these practices show potential for fostering humanizing educational processes, challenges limiting their effective implementation persist, such as participant dropout, difficulties in filling available spots, a scarcity of materials, and a lack of adequate physical spaces. Nevertheless, the workshops demonstrate a capacity to foster dialogue, build bonds, and create openings for humanization within a context defined by the deprivation of liberty.