“Is this not a place for young people?” contributions of youth from a small town to geography education

Abstract

This article analyzes the perceptions, experiences, and demands of young people living in a small town in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, based on a focus group conducted with high school students from the municipality of Gramado dos Loureiros. Grounded in the theoretical framework of the Geographies of Youth, the study is based on the understanding that youth experiences are deeply shaped by territorial conditions, by the opportunities (or lack thereof) offered by the city, and by the intergenerational relations that structure it. Methodologically, the research adopts a qualitative approach, using the focus group as the main data production technique, complemented by the analysis of a word cloud constructed from participants’ statements. The results show that young people do not perceive the municipality as a “city for youth,” highlighting the scarcity of opportunities related to work, education, leisure, and political participation. The analytical categories are organized into three axes: “A city for young people?”, “Youth demands for the city,” and “Departures and stays.” Although there is a strong sense of belonging and identity with the place, leaving the city emerges as an almost inevitable project for most participants, especially after completing high school. Finally, the article discusses the contributions of these youth voices to Geography Education, emphasizing the centrality of lived territory, attentive listening, and the problematization of territorial inequalities in school education.