Negative Social Experiences and Emotions of Brazilian Adolescents: A Cultural-Historical Analysis Based on Letters

Abstract

The present study aimed to understand the processes of adolescents’ emotional experiences, coping, and emotional regulation in the face of negative experiences, analyzing them in light of the historical-cultural perspective.This is a qualitative, study conducted with 75 adolescents aged 14 to 17, ninth-grade students from a public state school located in the urban periphery of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. Data were produced through anonymous letters in which the adolescents reported social experiences considered negative and their associated emotional experiences. Data analysis was carried out using the Meaning Nuclei method proposed by Aguiar and Ozella, allowing for the construction of two analytical nuclei: (1) negative emotional experiences in family, school, and social relationships; and (2) heterogeneous modes of coping with and regulating emotions. The results show that the emotions expressed by adolescents are intrinsically related to concrete social living conditions, marked by inequalities, conflicts, and social suffering, revealing coping strategies that are both limited and potentially developmental. It is concluded that understanding adolescent emotions requires an analysis that considers the social and historical mediations that constitute psychological development, pointing to the need for educational and collective actions that promote socially mediated processes of emotional self-regulation.