A alfabetização financeira de jovens em situação de vulnerabilidade social: uma análise qualitativa do impacto do Projeto Autonomia

Abstract

The importance of financial literacy in people's lives is becoming increasingly evident. According to the PEIC (Consumer Indebtedness and Default Research) conducted by the National Confederation of Commerce of Goods, Services, and Tourism, default affected 77.9% of Brazilian families in 2022. Moreover, several studies have already stated that individuals with low financial literacy face greater difficulties in managing their money and making rational and conscious financial decisions. In this context, the importance of instilling an awareness of the value of money and its management in future generations is apparent. However, given the insufficient measures aimed at including quality financial education in Brazilian schools, coupled with situations where the family environment is either inadequate or even detrimental to social development, the task of financial education falls on social support institutions. In this context, the Autonomia project emerged in 2023 with the aim of addressing the demand for such knowledge. This study aimed to analyze the influence of the Autonomia project on the financial literacy development of young people in situations of social vulnerability, the project's target audience. Using semi-structured interviews and a participant observer method, data were collected, interpreted, and contextualized. At the end of the proposed follow-up, through discourse analysis and researcher interpretation, the impact of the Autonomia project was analyzed, focusing on four constructs: satisfaction, knowledge, social impact, and methodologies. The results indicate that the project was successful in terms of satisfaction, as 6 out of 7 participating young people showed intense interest in the activities. Knowledge outcomes were mixed, with 4 out of 7 students demonstrating a good understanding of the taught concepts, while 2 young people were unable to convincingly discuss any of the topics, revealing weaknesses in the Autonomia teaching model. The construct related to social impact affirmed the Autonomia project's ability to financially educate; reports showed that 5 out of 7 participating young people apply at least one learned concept in their daily lives. Moreover, both students who do not apply cited unemployment as the reason but expressed intentions to apply as soon as possible. Finally, interviews with teachers highlighted two fundamental points for the project's success in future applications. Firstly, high-level intellectual teachers are necessary due to the psychological and material adaptation involved. Secondly, given the difficulty of actively involving young people in classes, it is crucial that the facilitation of collective engagement moments be prioritized to extend the learning period.