From childhood to adolescence: Vulnerable life stories and persistent inequalities in Argentina since post-convertibility (2003)

Abstract

Recognizing that child labor allows a clear view of how social inequalities are structured, linked, and reproduced from an early age, this chapter shares the results of a mixed methods research developed between 2014 and 2016 in the urban area of the city of La Plata (Buenos Aires, Argentina), with children who work on the streets. Through the analysis of the life stories of these workers, this research aims to reveal the heterogeneous ways in which the new generations inhabit a part of their life course: childhood and youth. The reconstruction of the trajectories allows showing the different risks to which these children are exposed throughout childhood, as well as the different ways in which integration into the fabric of society can be blocked. This chapter was elaborated in the context of the INCASI Network, a European project that has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie GA No 691004, coordinated by Dr. Pedro López-Roldán. This chapter reflects only the author’s view, and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.