Chapter 7: Transitions Through Adolescence in Novos Alagados: Reflections on an Experience Report (1995–2006)

My research experience with adolescents in Novos Alagados started in 1995, while I was engaged in educational activities within a social project in that area. It was there that I learned to ask questions about the social reality and to investigate the developmental trajectories of adolescents, something that was possible due to the distance I had as a professor and researcher. While performing these tasks, I was able to follow the trajectories of the lives of many adolescents, identifying new questions, trying to understand life dynamics in adverse conditions, and the ways these adolescents define their future projects. I could identify some of their pathways, characterized either by social inclusion or by marginalization.