Abstract

VERGARA QUINTERO, María del Carmen. Health social representations of some youth groups in the city of Manizales, Colombia. Rev.latinoam.cienc.soc.niñez juv [online]. 2009, vol.7, n.1, pp.105-133. ISSN 1692-715X.

With this research work, I want to contribute with some bases that may be helpful in finding a guiding thread between the formulation of policies and the needs, inter-ests and expectations of the young population. Youths, whom we often visualize from our perspective of adults, are perceived as people at risk, with a high degree of vulnerability towards sexually transmitted diseases, adolescence pregnancies, the consumption of psy-choactive drugs and a terrifying nearness to violence. The policies are formulated by adults from this perspective. Accordingly, I have decided to approach the problem through the youth social represen-tations with reference to health in order to define proposals that will contribute to generating a major impact in their health in the city of Manizales, Colombia. The concern generated by this research results from the conviction that it is necessary to listen to young people to have a holistic vision of their problems and their requirements to be taken into account. The most significant results from this project allow us to understand that social repre-sentations that guide youth health life experience result from a wide perspective about the world; thus, defining health as a balance state between mental, material, spiritual, emotional and moral aspects with a social projection. Work is one of the activities that youth consider healthful, and one of the requirements to have good health, as work generates freedom and autonomy. Health deals with violence, human rights and peace. "Health is to the individual as peace is to the collectivity".

Keywords : Health; youth; social representation.

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