Primary Socialization with street children in Rio de Janeiro (PDF)

Essay from the year 2005 in the subject Cultural Studies - Basics and Definitions, grade: 2,3, Zeppelin University Friedrichshafen, course: Cultural Studies, language: English, abstract: "An upper-class child may learn the "facts of life" at an age when a lower-class child has mastered the rudiments of abortion technique. Or, an upper-class child may experience his first stirrings of patriotic emotion about the time his lower-class contemporary first experiences hatred of the police and everything they stand for." 1 This quotation symbolizes the subject of my essay: I will delve into the term of Berger/Luckmann's Primary Socialization in "The social construction of reality". I want to compare their idea/perception of the ideal primary socialization of a child within the society with the current situation of street children in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is important to know a little bit about the historical background of Brazil to understand why the social levels differ so greatly. I will also try to explain possible consequences and perspectives of these children. I chose this subject because I grew up in Rio de Janeiro. I learned to love this country, but I could also recognize the immense injustice rampant in this country. Especially in my situation, as a person who comes from a "good" and safe family, I asked myself since I was a little child: Why do I have so much and those children nothing? [...]