The paradox of affections: tension between the realities and dreams of young people in the comuna 13 in Medellín city – Colombia

Abstract

The following text was constructed with data collected by a qualitative approach research study named “Perceptions of affective relationships among teenagers who belong to the Youth Christian Association of ACJ - YMCA3 with their family, friends, and couples” developed in the course of the year 2010 as part of the Pontificia Bolivariana University Family Research pilot program. Although the study addressed three categories of analysis; couples, family, and friend’s relationships, this text will focus on the perception of affective relationships among friends, the importance of this bond for young people and its impact on everyday interactions. The research was conducted among two groups of young people (women and men between 14 and 21 years old) participants from various programs of the Association through methodological strategy discussion groups that allowed the categories approach work to be done. The survey performed provided a better understanding of how human relations are influenced by the environment; specifically for the young people of Medellin who live in La Comuna 134,, which is characterized by a high social vulnerability, not only because of poor economic conditions, but also because of high levels of violence and the presence of organized crime that causes a situation in which the youth are actively involved in the urban conflict scenario