“Dangerous Childhood. An ethnographic research in younger penal Institution.”,

NOCETI, M.B

Williamsburg, Virginia, USA

Congreso; “14th International Congress of Anthropological and ethnological Sciences”; 1998

International Union of Anthopology and Etnography sciences y College of William´s and Mary

: DANGEROUS CHILDHOOD. AN ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH IN YOUNGER PENAL INSTITUTIONS. Some results of an ethnographic research are introduced in the institutional field. This one intends to consider the association between institutional aims and practices, study the institution as a universe to be considered. On the other hand it proposes a comparative analysis between two models of Younger Penal Institution; that suggests answers to the requirement of the National State for the problem of “dangerous childhood”. One of the modes refers to the Total institution just as Goffman defined it; mainly organized to protect the community against those who constitute a danger for it. The other one corresponds to the “Alternative Institution” whose main characteristic is to give the child the opportunity of an insertion in the society, making a point on the laboral aim. Children, who get into the rehabilitation program, arrive, with a specifically cultural background. The purpose of this comparison is to evaluate the incidence of these cultural factors in the elaboration and practice of the objectives and strategies of the institutional models mentioned before. Through this work we propose to contribute to the evaluation of the different ways to instrument the present legislation about the younger delinquents, which demonstrate some controvert options, and because of that there is a variety of proposals dealing with this “dangerous childhood”.