Denise Moreira
[email protected]
Marisa Aranda
[email protected]
BRAZILIAN CHILDREN IN LONDON:
SOCIAL RELATIONS IN CONTEXT OF IMMIGRATION
Abstract
Great Britain appears as the European country with the highest
concentration of Brazilians. In this context, we seek to understand
the impacts of the international trajectory of Brazilian children in
their relational dynamics in London. In order to capture the dynamics
of relationships between children, one ethnographic study was used
because it provides a methodological approach that focuses on the
immersion into the search field beyond appearances and satisfies our
theoretical perspective to appreciate the relationship between time
and space for understanding social phenomena. As an ethical
principle adopted in the collection, analysis and interpretation of
data, it was necessary the informed consent, children's participation
in research and multivocality. Data were collected in interaction
spaces frequented by girls and boys from 4 up to 16 years of age in
their after-school spaces. This article presents a case study of the
strategies adopted by children to cope with the impact of migration
on social relations. We hope it contributes to the discussion about the
child from the perspective of the 'sociology of childhood', which
considers the child as the protagonist in the interpretation of their
subjective, social and discursive experience. We also hope that this
study will be useful for a better understanding of the immigrant
child.
Keywords: child migration; social relationships; sociology of
childhood.
Introduction
Studies of international migrant children put emphasis on factors
that affect the social interaction and its resulting phenomena. Among
the factors of influence on the interactions, studies indicate
monolingualism and physical environmental changes. Among the
phenomena resulting from Monolingualism and changes, include
ethnic-national identity, social competence, acculturation and
generational conflicts.
In studies dealing with the influence of factors on the interactions,
the emphasis is on the negative effects of migration. Fritzen (2008)
identified in a monolingual school a stigmatization of minority
languages. Siller (2011) identified in a school dedicated to the
assimilation of national standard language, religion and local culture,
foreign children with ashamed of their origin and prejudice against
other foreign children. Mota, Franco and Motta (1999) observed the
vulnerability of migrant children to environmental changes and
identified migration as an event capable of changing patterns of
family organization and states of health and illness of the child.
Pizzinato Sarriera and Castella (2004) investigated the differences
between immigrant children and non-immigrant. The researchers
concluded that immigrants were more isolated and less aggressive.
They also found that there was a tendency for hybridization of
identity between the two groups. The results indicated an adaptive
process of immigrants and maintenance of culture by the natives.
Studies dealing with the phenomena arising from multicultural
interactions, although they recognized its negative impacts, tend to
emphasize the positive aspects of international migration. Mota
(2008) noted the occurrence of cultural assimilation, but considered
the possibility of moving towards transnationalism. Soto (2010)
found that despite the impacts of migration on generational
relationships in blended families, it was possible to observe the
participation of children as social actors in their everyday lives. The
researcher also found that migration projects are increasingly
associated with well-being and development of children.
This brief explanation presented the results of research conducted
in school settings. Hopefully the data presented below, obtained
outside of schools, can help broaden the discussion on the
international migrant child. The data reveal strategies adopted by
immigrant children in an attempt to resolve their conflicts.
Method
The field research in London revealed that any script tend to
overshadow the meanings of this universe for children, however, was
necessary to maintain traditional forms of record. Thus the attitude to
film, photograph and record everything, emerged as the best
alternative, in addition to the freedom of choice of the forms of
expression of children. Thus, drawings and said and written,
illustrated or not, began to compose a diverse sample material.
There is no way to sort and categorize the information gathered
from a study in which the parties can make decisions about what,
how, where and when to say it. It was necessary to forget the matter
which gave rise to the investigation. However, there may be science
in a passive mode of data collection? Eventually, the idea of passive
exited the plane of appearances. The time has come to find the
answers to the issues that gave rise to the investigation, the time to
do the removal of an entire fragment as part of a complex whole and
unravel the moment everything seems to lead to the same place.
Time to do textual analysis.
Regarding the analysis of the interviews and texts written by
children, the option of processing the data was deconstruction. For
Derrida (2001), the words do not have the ability to express
everything you want to express. So you need to take it apart in an
attempt to retake the origin of hidden thought by familiarity. The
goal of deconstruction is to reveal assumptions, ambiguities and
contradictions, in an attempt to avoid reductionism.
The analysis of the images, drawings (Malchiodi, 1998) and
photographs (Collier, 1973), resulted in fragmented perception of
things. Gradually, with the intention of seeing everything, it was
possible to see more, surface and depth. Image analysis helped draw
further conclusions and levanter new doubts. We must inform you
that this exhibition does not bring the images analysed in the study,
but only their results.
The school environment was excluded from observation. In the
school, there is a constant correction of imagination on the part of
reason. The study by Thompson (2011) on the artistic production of
immigrant children in an American school revealed that the deviation
from drawings resulted in the assessment of an extremely talented
child as maladjusted. Just as in the illustration, the child's behaviour
in school follows the standards established institutionally. Contrary
to that, in general, adults expect of children in school, the child
perceives and judges by emotion. However, not only common sense,
many educational theorists, such as Émile Durkheim, Sigmund Freud
and Immael Kant, expect see child behave with adult.
The investigation took place away from adult control. The
separation of adults contributed to access cultures of childhood
(James, Jenks and Prout, 2004). The spaces were, besides the
residences, clubs, parks, shops, parties, doctor's offices, as well as the
path between home and school.
Results
The following results correspond to the case study of 1 between
21 children in this study. The choice for this, among the cases
examined, is justified in the comprehensiveness of the information
contained in this history. This is the story of a Brazilian girl who
arrived in London in July 2011. Their story was told and illustrated
by other children. The children told she used the self-flagellation
strategy to draw attention of the school and she succeeded. In June
2012, she returned to Brazil. However, in December 2013 she
returned to London and was thus able to tell your story.
The girl began his narrative with a description of the arrival in
London. Said he came with his sister and grandmother, with whom
they had always lived. “Eu cheguei. Tinha acabado de fazer 12... Foi
um choque aqui pra mim. Aí, nossa, eu chorava, chorava (...).
Queria voltar (...) pro Brasil. Minha vó que veio. A gente sempre
morou com minha vó... Aí veio eu ela e minha irmã.”.
Among children in this study, two-thirds do not lived with their
parents before going to London and arrived in the country only 5 or 6
years after the arrival of the parents. The justification for this attitude
by parents may be due, among other factors, the public policies
adopted in the country. The state provides benefits for children and
their parents (Mota, 2004). Benefits include public schools, free
transport for children who are of school age and assistance for
housing.
As soon as she arrived in London, she entered into a program of
interim studies with classes in English and other free activities. There
she remained for three months to be called by a nearby home school.
She said she wanted to start studying. However, she did not like
school. She asked the mother to change schools, but her mother
never tried. “Entrei (...) num projeto (...). Fiquei acho que uns 3
meses lá e depois chegou uma carta... para eu poder começar a
estudar (...). Eu tava doida para começar a estuda, só que eu não
sabia como que era a escola (...). Não gostei! Não conseguia mudar
de escola. Minha mãe também (...) nunca tentou.”.
The comparison between age and adaptive capacity of children in
the study showed that the older the child, the lower is its adaptability.
The biggest 11 year old revealed miss the friends from Brazil and
lamented the difficulty to make new friends in London.
While girl remained in school, she made friends. She started going
to the parks, but says that, despite never having done anything
wrong, her mother never believed. The following year, she asked to
go back to Brazil, but her mother ignored his request. She
emphasized that her mother always asked affection, but never gave
affection. “Minha mãe sempre desconfiou de mim. Só que eu nunca
fiz nada errado. Nunca consumi droga. Eu sou contra! Só que me
deu na telha de ir embora. Eu fazia tudo pra ir embora, só que ela
não me dava atenção. Ela quer atenção, quer carinho mas não dá
em troca.”.
Lack of attention from parents was the most frequent complaint
made by the children in this study. One possible reason for this may
lie in the time devoted to the family. In more than two thirds of
cases, parents work more than 8 hours per day, which includes
weekends. Evans (2010) showed in their study of 426 Brazilian
investigated in 2006, residing in London, an average of 42 hours of
work per week for the entire sample.
The difficulty to get the attention of his mother made the girl go in
search of some strategies. The girl noticed that one of his friends cut
his own arm to get attention and he got it. She then decided to do the
same. However, she only had the courage in the day that a
schoolmate caused enmity between her and another colleague, who
threatened to hit her. “Aí eu vi minha amiga conseguindo um monte
de coisa cortando o braço (...). Eu falei: ah, vai ser o jeito, ne? E eu
era meio doidinha da cabeça (...). Tive coragem, não. Fui assim com
a caneta socando no meu braço. (...) no outro dia, na escola os
meninos queriam me bater (...). Aí eu peguei e vim pra casa (...) fui
para o banheiro e comecei a me cortar com gilete os dois braços.”.
The occurrence of violence in schools has been the second biggest
complaint of the children in this study. From age 8, all children have
a history of aggression to tell, either with themselves or with other
colleagues. Sebastian (2003) believes that violence in schools have
various discussions in the media.
After the threat of assault made by his colleague, at home, she
cuts with a razor blade in both arms. Then she was sorry and to cover
them, she began to use sleeve shirts fulfilled. Until one day, after
making more cuts, she went to school."(...) um dia na escola, depois
que eu me cortei em casa, começou a arder muito (...). Besides the
child protagonist of this story, all the other children who have more
than 11 years in this study can remember one or more episodes of
self-flagellation told by a colleague or witnessed by themselves. For
scholars in the subject, self-flagellation and an observable practice in
children in adolescence (Smith, 2002). Two very common features in
the practice of self-flagellation is the attitude to make cuts without
suicidal intent and the habit of wearing long-sleeved shirts to cover
up injuries.
Some scholars consider the self-flagellation as punishment or as
an attempt to draw attention (Barrocas et al, 2012). The intention of
the girl was seeking help in school. The intention of the girl was
seeking help at school. She resorted to a teacher he trusted. “(...) aí
eu fui e falei assim: vou conversar com o professor (...) ele vai saber
o que fazer comigo porque eu preciso de ajuda.”. The teacher took
her to the school psychologist. After the conversation with the
psychologist, she said it would bid farewell to friends and go.
Psychology said, then, that after taking leave of friends, she should
come back again in his office. When she returned to the office,
through the window, the psychologist asked if the woman coming
toward them was his mother. The romanticization of families favours
the vulnerable situation of the child. In one third of the testimony of
children in this study there is evidence of domestic violence
expressed in drawings, texts or speeches. For Silva (2002) the
vulnerability of children in relation to families is a fact that has
increased.
The girl said that when she asked the help of the teacher, things at
home were not right. Besides not giving him attention, his mother
rented a space in the same room in which she slept. “(...) já tinha
acontecido um monte de coisa aqui em casa, eu já tinha ficado
chateada com minha mãe porque ela colocou um homem pra dormir
no meu quarto e eu fiquei muito triste (...).”.
About a third of parents of children in this study have an area of
your home to inhabit others. In general, places are open to women.
For Evans et al (2013), housing problems for Brazilians in London
are related discrimination. This finding may explain the clustering of
Brazilians in neighbourhoods and homes in the city.
The girl's mother came to the school accompanied by an
interpreter and reported that he had bought the ticket for her daughter
to return to Brazil and her daughter knew. The girl claimed not to
know and judged the attitude of the mother as an attempt to absolve
themselves of blame. “(...) minha mãe (...) falou assim: Não tinha
necessidade dela ter feito isso. Eu até já tinha comprado a passagem
dela e ela sabia. Ai, eu falei: não, eu não sabia e ela fez isso só pra
tentar amenizar para o lado dela. (...) eu contei que ela (...) não dava
atenção! Nunca deu! (...) Ela falou: “(...) eu sempre dou carinho
pras minhas filhas (...) A tradutora (...) sabia da história, só que ela
(...) só podia traduzir o que minha mãe dizia. Não podia falar a
verdade.”
The difficulty of parent communication tends to distance them
from their children's schools. The mediation of dialogues between
parents and school happened in over two thirds of cases. Only after
learning to speak English is that children assume the position of
interpreters of their parents. To Mota (2004), the difficulty of adults
in learning the language as opposed to the speed with which the child
learns, creates a familiar environment of competition and
exploitation of children by parents.
At school, during the meeting between the girl and her mother, a
psychologist advised the girl to avoid this type of behaviour. The girl
said she realized she did wrong, but she managed to return to Brazil:
“Aí eles conversaram comigo, mandou nunca mais eu fazer isso.
Não, nunca mais eu vou fazer! (...) quando eu cheguei no Brasil,
mudei assim minha cabeça, completamente. Pensei muito no que eu
fiz e vi que era errado. Não tive maturidade.”
In Brazil, the girl faced other problems. So she returned to
London: “No começo do ano quando eu cheguei lá (no Brasil), eu
ainda tava meio doidinha ainda da cabeça, né? Tudo o que me
pediam eu fazia.”. Back in London, the girl repeated to herself his
belief that ultimately matured: “Agora eu to com outra cabeça. Já
sei o que é certo e o que é errado.”
The school advised the girl to manage personal stress. Proposals
for intervention aim to develop individuals in their ability to manage
personal stress. Intervention cases whose consequence is the change
in behaviour, for overcoming tensions, are described in the literature,
in general how resilience (McCubbin and Patterson, 1983).
Among the assumptions, ambiguities and contradictions that the
girl has in his speech, is noteworthy: as assumption: the girl believes
the experience helped her understand what is right and what is
wrong; as ambiguity: the girl admitted that he was wrong; as a
contradiction: the girl said she had never done anything wrong.
Moreover, in their quest for complicity, the girl said her mother
always asked for affection and attention, but the mother never gave
attention to daughters.
Discussion
Although longitudinal, the duration of this research is not enough
to ensure the overcoming of tensions resulting from the conflicts
described here, mainly because there was no attention to the cause of
the problem, but only its effects on the child.
Some studies show evidence of improvements in migration
projects in host countries, but arrangements are restricted to seeking
resilience of children and their families as a means of resolving
conflict of generations. However, the solutions tend to guide the
child to the subordination to adults, with his unquestionable maturity.
We note the absence of discussions on the possibility of mutual
respect between adults and children.
Many values in generational relationships need to recast to ensure
the safety of children due to their natural weaknesses. You need to
qualify institutional mechanisms for listening to the voices of
children free of stereotypes historically built on family and
childhood.
Support: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Piauí
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