YOUTH, INEQUALITIES, AND URBAN EXPERIENCES IN THE RIO DE JANEIRO METROPOLITAN REGION

Abstract

This article analyzes the perceptions of high school students regarding the city as an educational territory in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro. The research adopted a quantitative–qualitative approach and was conducted through the application of 159 questionnaires with students from the Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica Celso Suckow da Fonseca (CEFET/RJ). The study investigated patterns of youth circulation within the city, the cultural and leisure spaces frequented by young people, and the forms of learning developed outside the formal school environment. The results indicate that most participants recognize that they learn important things in the city, especially through everyday experiences, contact with different social realities, and access to cultural facilities. However, territorial and racial inequalities in access to these spaces were also identified, related to factors such as distance, transportation costs, and urban insecurity. The findings suggest that, although the city holds significant educational potential, its realization as an Educating City depends on expanding conditions of access to urban and cultural territories.