The Construction of Life Stories using Five Biographical Narrative Techniques: Other Ways of Researching the Social Exclusion in Young Persons

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This paper seeks to show how five biographical narrative techniques are used as investigative tools in a research work in which we aim to study social exclusion, just as it is seen and told in the first person by young persons of both sexes.

We describe here the techniques used in the research work (self-introduction, biographical interview, focussed interview, biogram, and photo technique); its qualities and its structure; what its potential strengths and limitations are in terms of the research being carried out; what relevant information has been obtained through their use; and finally how this is expressed in the individual report in each case. In order to achieve our aim we use the life story of Israel (an 18-year-old male), which allowed us to analyse in detail process followed for its completion and what contribution was made by each of the techniques used for the final life story. We also propose the life story of Israel ( in a summarised version, adapted to the conditions of this paper), as a sample of some of the barriers (obstacles) and help reported by the young persons, subjects of the research, in their school and social stories, and which they acknowledge as being landmarks in their personal stories. In short, we aim to recognise the passage of time that the young persons relate in the first person and which has led them to a social position such that they have been deprived of certain citizenship rights.

This work, financed by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Education, lies within the project titled “The construction the social exclusion process in young persons” being run jointly by the Universities of Cantabria and Sevilla (Spain), in which we interviewed over 50 young persons from under-privileged socio-economic groups, ethnic or cultural minorities, and the disabled.

Stream: Equity, Social Justice and Social Change; Community, Culture, Globalisation

Paper: A paper has not yet been submitted.

Ph. D. Susana Lázaro Visa is a professor at the University of Cantabria. In recent years she has worked on the prevention of psychosocial risks in infancy and adolescence, participating in several studies, among which the following are of particular relevance: a) Development and application of a program for the promotion of social and mental health in minors with a history of family abuse; b) Development and application of a program for the promotion of the emotional and social health of minors who have committed crimes and are receiving education treatment for reinsertion; c) The construction of social exclusion process in young women: origin, modalities and training implications;

Susana Rojas pursue her work at the Faculty of Education of the University of Cantabria (Spain). Over the past years her research has centred on the study of social exclusion and inequality. It is in this field that she has carried out various research projects, publications and training programmes, in particular the one presented here, the phenomenon of Social Exclusion.