THE POSSIBILITIES OF SELF-REALIZATION EXPRESSED IN ADOLESCENT’S LIFE PROJECTS

ABSTRACT This research evaluates the life project of adolescents and its relationship with the perception and tendency to self-realization. A Purpose Questionnaire and a Profile Questionnaire were used, with 507 female and male sbjects between 12 and 17 years old, educated, in the city of Santos/SP. As a hypothesis, it is pointed out that the achievements of personal maturation contribute to a positive self-concept, making self-realization an important part of personality formation. The theoretical line focuses on Moral Psychology, articulated with philosophical and sociological discussions on ethics, moral values and human development. The results show an appreciation for subjectivity, the feeling of insecurity and self-assertion. The hypothesis was partially confirmed, as the subjects demonstrated that they establish purposes and plans for their lives, which they perceive as potentially transforming, but that they are still very much focused on the private context, material needs and family attachment.