Fear, adoration and enchantment in Brazilian youth policy

Abstract

Recovering my own history of collaboration in the development, implementation and analysis of different policies involving young people, this text discusses a pragmatist conception of public policy that is not restricted to state actions. Initially, I present different initiatives that I followed as an educator, manager or researcher. From this presentation and from a brief theoretical, philosophical and lexical reflection, I draw the discussion of three collective emotions that affect youth policies in Brazil: fear, adoration and enchantment. Then, I point out some advances and challenges of these policies and, by way of conclusion, I highlight the need for integration of different knowledges and emotions in the cycle of youth public policies.