Caracterização de aspectos da cognição social, habilidades sociais e funções executivas de crianças diagnosticadas com transtorno autista e transtorno de asperger

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Percepção do mercado romântico e influência do contexto nas preferências românticas entre universitários

Men and women express different preferences for ideal romantic partners. These preferences seem to vary with the level of involvement and commitment expected for the relationship and the perceptions people have about themselves. The current work was developed to expand the findings related to this subject, investigating the market perception of romantic relationships and the effect of context on self-assessment and preferences for romantic partners. For this purpose, 753 undergraduate, Brazilian and American, were enrolled between March 2010 and November 2012 and took part in at least one of the four studies that compose this research, performing the assessment of specific stimulus-subject descriptions. Studies one and two addressed Brazilian and American samples to respectively describe female and male expectations on human mating market. It was observed that individuals from both the genders expect positive assortative mating within couples, that each trait is not evaluated independently, and, in addition to biological predispositions, factors as environmental local constrains and cultural values may also affect mating expectations. The contrasts between the samples showed that Americans valued physical-attractiveness and social-status in describing the same-gender subjects and their expected partners, while Brazilians valued social-skills. Another expectation was also identified for both genders: physically attractive women and men of high-status were expected to be paired to each other. Study three addressed males and females expectations regarding which characteristics are most relevant in ensuring desirable partnerships for same-gender individuals. The results showed that men and women can be grouped together by having similar expectations. However, the group mainly composed of men considered status characteristics as the most important attributes, while the groups mostly composed of women indicated that social skills or physical characteristics as the most important in appealing to a desirable partner. Finally, study four investigated the effect of social comparison on self-perception and mate preferences, revealing that individuals were aware of the attributes valued by the opposite-gender and that self-perception was affected by the attributes of other people. In sum, this work evidenced that romantic relationships can be interpreted as a biological market and that the value of the attributes in the romantic mating marketplace are associated with reproductive relevance of the characteristics.

Iniciação sexual e fatores associados: um estudo com adolescentes escolares

A iniciação sexual é um marco significativo na vida do indivíduo, ocorrendo geralmente na adolescência. Importantes transformações biopsicossociais ocorrem nesta fase, denotando vulnerabilidades à vida do adolescente, dentre elas, as decorrentes da iniciação sexual, sendo o risco de infecção pelo HIV/aids a mais grave. A infecção pelo HIV/aids constitui atualmente um importante problema de Saúde Pública, estando os jovens no centro da epidemia mundial. No Brasil, dados do último boletim epidemiológico, lançado em 2013, apontam para a tendência de aumento de sua prevalência na população jovem. Desta forma, o presente estudo teve por objetivo investigar a associação entre iniciação sexual e o perfil sociodemográfico, o indicador de conhecimento das formas de transmissão do HIV/aids e fatores biopsicossociais autoestima e habilidades sociais, em adolescentes de 16 a 19 anos, de ambos os sexos, estudantes do nível médio técnico integrado, do Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciências e Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Natal. Trata-se de um estudo transversal, cuja amostra foi constituída aleatoriamente por 200 alunos que responderam de forma anônima a quatro instrumentos: perfil sociodemográfico, questionário da Pesquisa de Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Práticas na População Brasileira (PCAP), Escala de Autoestima de Rosenberg e o Inventário de Habilidades Sociais para Adolescentes de Del-Prette (IHSA). A análise estatística dos dados foi realizada através do teste qui-quadrado de Pearson e do exato de Fisher (α <5%). A média de idade para a primeira relação sexual foi de 15,96 anos, com o início mais cedo para o sexo masculino. Verificou-se associações estatisticamente significativas entre iniciação sexual e as seguintes variáveis: idade, sexo, situação conjugal, religião, renda familiar, autoestima e o repertório de habilidades sociais. Observou-se ainda que apenas 11% dos adolescentes possuíam conhecimento correto acerca das formas de transmissão do HIV/aids. Conclui-se que os esforços para a prevenção das DST/aids precisam ser direcionados a campanhas e programas mais eficazes, que considerem não somente o caráter informativo, mas também os fatores psicossociais já que estes mostraram-se associados ao início da vida sexual

Educação ambiental: mediações sociais e políticas e a indolência do Poder Público à sua inclusão no ensino formal

As a result of the prediction of irreversible changes on necessary conditions to maintain life, including human, on the planet, environmental education got the spotlight in the political scenario, due to social pressure for the development of individual and collective values, knowledge, skills, attitudes and competences towards environmental preservation. In Brazil, only in 1999 the right for environmental education was officially granted to people, having the status of essential and permanent component in the country s education. Since then, it has been Government s duty, in each federal branch, to plan actions to make it happen, in an articulate way in all levels and modalities of the education process, both formally and informally. This work of research has environmental education in the school as subject matter, and aims on analyzing social and political mediations established between this National Environmental Education policy and the contexts associated to the legislative production process, the political nature of the conceptions about environmental education that underlie Law 9.795/99 (Brazil, 2009c) and also Rio Grande do Norte Government s actions and omissions related to the imperative nature of the insertion of environmental education in the schools ran by the state, during the ten years this law has been in force. The investigation of the subject matter was led by a social and historical understanding of the social and environmental phenomena, as well as of the education system as a whole, considering that only through a dialectical view we can see the real world, by destroying the pseudo-concreteness that surrounds the topic. While analyzing, we assumed that in face of the dominance of a social organization in which market regulations rule on environmental ones, by developing individual and collective critical conscience, environmental education can become a threat to dominant economical interests in exploiting natural resources. The results of this research suggest that as an educational practice to be developed in an integrated, continuous and permanent fashion in all levels and modalities of formal education, environmental education has not yet come to pass in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, due to the neglect and disrespect of the government when facing the need of promoting the necessary and legally appointed measures to make it present in the basic education provided by the state. The legislators silence when it comes to approving a regulation on environmental education essential to define policies, rules and criteria to teaching the subject in the state and the omission from the public administration regarding critical actions in order to integrate in public schools the activities related to the National Environmental Education Policy, represent a political decision for not doing anything, despite the legal demand for an active position. This neglecting attitude for the actualizing of strategically concrete actions, urgent and properly planned for the implementation of environmental education in schools in a multidisciplinary way, exposes the lack of interest the predominant classes have in such kind of education being made available, as it could be developed based on a critic political view, becoming a political and educational action against dominance. When analyzing the basic principles and fundamental goals in Law 9.795/99 (Brazil, 2009c) the development of a critic environmental education is really possible and concurs with the National Environmental Education Policy, reflecting the social and political mediations established between this public policy and the contexts associated to its legislative production process, which are responsible for approving a regulation which also represents the mind of the people about environmental protection above anything else

Apropriação da escrita por crianças em contextos sociais adversos

O presente trabalho tem origem em nossas vivências como professora alfabetizadora na escola pública em contextos de periferias urbanas, o que nos levou ao envolvimento com questões relativas à (não)aprendizagem das crianças em seu processo de alfabetização. Por outro lado, a inserção na vida acadêmica nos aproximou de perspectivas de compreensão dos processos de aprendizagem e desenvolvimento das crianças, bem como do papel que o meio sociocultural tem nesses processos. Dessas experiências, emergiram os questionamentos que guiaram nossa investigação: em que contextos/situações crianças que vivem em um meio socialmente adverso se apropriam de conhecimentos acerca da linguagem escrita? Onde, com quem, como e o que aprendem as crianças de tal meio sobre a escrita como prática cultural? Tendo como objeto de estudo os contextos/situações em que crianças que vivem em contextos sociais marcados por condições adversas de extrema pobreza se apropriam de conhecimentos pertinentes à linguagem escrita, definimos, como objetivo, Analisar contextos/situações (intra e extra-escolares) em que crianças que vivem em um meio social adverso interagem e se apropriam de conhecimentos pertinentes à linguagem escrita. O campo de estudo foi a comunidade Frei Damião, localizada na periferia do município de Caicó, RN, originária de um lixão e reconhecida na região por ser economicamente carente, com alto índice de analfabetismo e baixíssimo nível de qualidade de vida (escassez de condições sanitárias, serviços públicos de saúde, saneamento e segurança, dentre outros próprios de meios urbanos). Assumindo os princípios da pesquisa qualitativa e as características de um estudo de caso, tomamos como sujeitos do estudo, nove crianças, com idades entre sete e oito anos, residentes na comunidade e estudantes da escola no segundo ano do Ensino Fundamental. Além das crianças, foram também considerados como sujeitos, suas mães, a diretora e duas funcionárias da escola. Os dados foram construídos a partir de entrevistas semi-estruturadas, questionários e anotações em diário de campo. Da sistematização desenvolvida com base nos princípios da análise de conteúdo emergiram evidências de que, mesmo vivendo em um ambiente marcado pela escassez de bens materiais, como de práticas e materiais escritos, as crianças constroem conhecimentos significativos sobre a escrita, apresentando níveis avançados de conceitualizações sobre o funcionamento do sistema alfabético. Tais construções resultam de interações em que se envolvem em diversos contextos intra e extra-escolares em sua comunidade nos quais são mediados, tanto por seus pais, em suas casas, como pela professora, na escola. Mesmo analfabetos ou com pouca instrução escolar, verificou-se que os pais inserem as crianças em processos de letramento e alfabetização ao valorizarem a escrita e seu aprendizado. Enquanto contexto de interação e apropriação de conhecimentos destaca-se, na comunidade, a escola e suas práticas. Mediante parcos recursos e limites, a professora cria situações de aprendizado do funcionamento do sistema de escrita e de habilidades textuais, aproximando as crianças da escrita como linguagem. Esses resultados apontam para a necessidade de reflexões e reformulações acerca das possibilidades da escola pública na promoção de educação de qualidade para as crianças de meios populares

Lógica por trás dos contratos sociais

Natural selection shapes body and behavior of each species. For primates, the social environment constituted one of the greatest selective pressure for the development of their cognition. When we consider gender differences, we see that sexual selection also operates through different selective pressures for men and women not only in physical terms but in terms of cognitive skills. Among these, the primary cognitive abilities - that emerge naturally - and secondary - that rely on an artificial environment for learning - develop differently for each sex, making them suitable for specific tasks in different capacities. Previous studies utilized the Wason Selection Test a conditional logic tool - to measure, among several other things, the ability to recognize violation of rules in abstract contexts and social contexts. Subjects generally had better performance in the latter, however, in these studies possible differences motivated by learning in formal logic or genre were not considered. Our study investigated these two variables, as well as the time spent to solve each task. Furthermore, we used an index to take into account the rights and wrongs of the participants in tasks. We realized that although learning in formal logic does not bring significant differences in solving tests, the gender differences are strongly observed when we consider the social contexts and abstract. Women perform better in social tasks. This can be explained due to different sexual selective pressures for this gender in terms of one-on-one relationships within the group. Men are better at tasks of abstract context and this is probably due to the same reason. Their capabilities for territory defense, habitat navigation and forming coalitions depends on primary cognitive abilities that support secondary cognitive skills of abstraction. Thus, gender differences are a factor to be taken into account in controlling future experiments with the same tool

O estágio não-obrigatório na formação profissional dos(as) assistentes sociais: trabalho precarizado ou processo didático-pedagógico?

Coexisten, en el universo académico, prácticas curriculares obligatorias y no obligatorias que pueden ser remuneradas o no. Delante de la constatación de lagunas en la concepción, gestión y operacionalización de las prácticas no obligatorias remuneradas, escogimos este tema como objeto de nuestra investigación, tratando de analizarlo en el contexto de los cambios sociohistóricos contemporaneos y su influencia en la cualidad de la formación profesional del estudiante de la carrera de Servicio Social. Este estudio tiene como ¨locu¨ de investigación la Facultad de Servicio Social del Estado de Rio Grande del Norte (FASSO/UERN). Este estudio se caracteriza por la adopción de una perspectiva de análisis cualitativa, con la expectativa de develarlo mucho más allá de lo que se muestra en su aparecncia. Para esto, realizamos revisión de literatura, análisis de documentos, observación asistemática y entrevistas con estudiantes y profesionales de las entidades que ofrecen prácticas a los estudiantes. Además se incluyó, en los procedimientos metodológicos, la aplicación de encuestas y conversaciones informales. Constatamos la existencia de lagunas en el desarrolllo de las prácticas no obligatorias remuneradas, ocasionadas por la ausencia de supervisión y por la inclusión de pasantes en sectores y/o actividades desvinculadas de su futura profesión. La investigación nos permitió desvelar situaciones en las que la oferta de plazas ocurre en detrimento de la contratación de empleados, lo que configura un distanciamento de este componente curricular del área de formación profesional, desvirtuando su carácter educacional. Cientes de la coexistencia contradictoria entre situaciones ventajosas y problemáticas en las prácticas no obligatorias remuneradas para el proceso de formación profesional de los asistentes sociales, concluimos que esta modalidad de práctica cuando vinculada a la intervención de la facultad y bajo la supervisión de asistentes sociales, independiente de sus implicaciones en los intereses del mercado, potencializa el desarrollo de competencias y habilidades intrínsecas al proceso de formación profesional; pero si distanciada del área de formación y/o sin el debido acompañamiento didáctico-pedagógico establece poca o ninguna relación con la formación de los asistentes sociales. Pero, incluso distanciadas del ejercicio y de la formación académica en el área de servicio social y/o (llenas de aspectos frágiles) llenas de fallas en el proceso de enseñanza y aprendisaje, estas experiencias ejercen profunda influencia en la formación de los asistentes sociales, pudiendo fragilizar el compromiso con el proyecto ético-político, diseminar el aspecto subalterno de la profesión y hacer confuso y conflictivo el proceso de construcción de la identidad profesional. En este sentido, las inversiones de capital para reducir los gastos con mano de obra, las dificultades vividas por las universidades públicas brasileñas para garantizar la cualidad de la enseñanza delante de la insuficiencia de recursos humanos y materiales y la desvalorización de los componentes no obligatorios del proceso de formación profesional de los asistentes sociales, son factores que obstaculizan el reconocimiento y la materialización del potencial didáctico-pedagógico de las prácticas

Serviço Social e Política: uma análise da participação dos assistentes sociais no Conselho Regional de Serviço Social 14ª região

This paper analyzes the political participation of Social Workers at the Social Service Regional Council Region 14th. The theoretical and methodological framework of this investigation has as its perspective the totality of social life and its determining relations within the object of study. To the production, analysis and collecting of data it was used a qualitative approach considering a bibliographical and documental research as well as a series of twelve interviews with 2005-2008 and 2008-2011 managing counselors of CRESS/RN. It was also used the data obtained from other special interviews held with the social workers in the period between 2007 and 2008. The results of this study allow and affirm the political dimension of Caseworkers and the CRESS/RN as a space of political activity with opportunities for effective and collective elaboration of strategies in order to reach the fulfillment of the ethical and professional policy of the Social Work. From a historical viewpoint, the beginning of this process is marked by the struggle for democracy, the end of military dictatorship, the establishment of the State of Human Rights. The Democratization of the so called Federal Council of Social Workers and its Regional Councils of Social Workers, CFAS / CRAS, respectively, area a result of the participation of the category in an effort to fight for democratization in Brazil. The objective of this research, so, is to understand which the socio-historical determinants are, that focus objectively and subjectively in the demobilization of social workers in CRESS Region 14th - in the contemporary and historical context. Among the results obtained we identified the ignorance of some professional workers and also of some advisors, regarding the existence and the role of the Council, as well as the commercialization of Education that compromises the quality of the professional training in its theoretical and methodological, ethical and political dimensions. According to our understanding, this shows a the presence of a non-critical professional profile based on a false reality, on the precariousness of employment contracts which undermine the political organization and submit the worker to various social exploring mechanisms such as double shift and ultimately the fragility of the management of the Regional Council -, as a consequence of the offensive capitalist system that ideologically invests to stop the political organization founded in a critical and democratic perspective. The low participation of some advisors and, in general, the category in CRESS / RN, despite its objective conditions, is a reality and it is presented to us as a challenge to future managements and policy consolidation to society. Inasmuch as the category intends to guarantee the high quality of its social workers, the demands of future counselors, their skills and abilities in dealing with regulatory issues, administrative policies that pervade the everyday life of CRESS / RN are necessary