Participation that enhances the political subjectivity of early childhood

Abstract

This study examines the construction of political subjectivities of girls and boys in early childhood through genuine participation with the community in the Kurmadó indigenous reserve. The author describes ethnographic research with a girl and two boys from Embera Chami community, as well as a mother who is a community leader and a father. Although historically children have been invisible in society, lacking recognition as social actors with agency, the results evidence the political potential generated by experiences of community, struggle, and resistance that indigenous children participa-te in from an early age. Genuine participation is understood as the scenario in which children's politi-cal subjectivity is generated and strengthened.