The vision of crime

the notions built by young people in undergoing socio-educational measures on conduct in the crime world

Abstract

The aim of this article is to present and analyze the meanings constructed by young people subject to socio-educational measures, in Londrina city (506,000 inhabitants - IBGE, 2010), on conduct codes existing in the “ crime world”. Interest in this discussion arose in a fieldwork developed at the Londrina Socio-education Center (CENSE I), in July / August 2017, through semi-structured interviews with inmates. The interlocutors revealed a native notion called the “vision of crime,” which means the codes of conduct followed by participants in the “crime world”. According to the testimonies, those who know and follow the codes of conduct are subjects who “have vision” and who “act for the right thing”. The theoretical basis of this study is based on discussions that approach the “crime world” as a normative instance and that has disputed legitimacy with traditional institutions such as family, school, state, work, etc. In addition, some young people are involved in the practices of the “crime world” and live on this game of disputes. Betaking on the social interactions of the youngsters researched, it will be proposed that participation in the “crime world” is a process, surrounded by disputes, whose core is in the meanings built of trust, recognition and protection. The learning of “vision”, therefore, is fundamental in the process of integrating the young in the “crime world” and it is on these experiences that this article will be treated.