DEMANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE AREA OF LEISURE, EDUCATION AND WORK: A PORTRAIT OF THE REALITY IN SELECTED NEIGHBORHOODS OF MONTES CLAROS/MG

Abstract

Youth is a recurring theme in the Social Sciences and Psychology and the crucial point in this debate is the public policies designed and implemented for this population. In this sense, Dye (2011) points out that public policies are what the government chooses or does not do. In a clearer and more didactic way, "Public Policies are the totality of actions, goals and plans that governments (national, state or municipal) outline to achieve the well-being of society and the public interest" (Sebrae/MG, 2008). Public interest in the problems associated with youth is growing. Certainly, such reflection is closely related to the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the context in which it is inserted. The neighborhoods selected for the research are in a peripheral region of the city of Montes Claros, where a large part of its residents are from the lower class, where government actions aimed at education, professional qualification, access to culture and leisure, among others, are essential. A public policy agenda that takes into account the social context and the particularities of this public is important. With these elements, the objective of this work is to present the main demands of young people, aged 15 to 29 years, from the neighborhoods of Jardim São Geraldo, Vargem Grande, Joaquim Costa, Ciro dos Anjos, Chiquinho Guimarães and Chácara dos Mangues, in the municipality of Montes Claros (north of Minas Gerais) for public policies in the area of leisure, education and work. To meet the proposed objectives, we used the focus group, a qualitative research technique, combined with the application of a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews.