This is a presentation about a narrative research in Palma Palmilla, a disadvantage neighborhood in Málaga, by Pablo Cortés. It has been presented in Istanbul, as a part of the contributions of the ECER2013.

1. Affirmative Pedagogies:
Living and coexisting in a
disadvantaged neighborhood
Pablo Cortés González
Universidad de Málaga
pcortes@uma.es
@temerel
ECER 2013: ISTANBUL
EERA Network: 05. Children andYouth at
Risk and Urban Education
05 SES 08: Preventing Early School Leaving
and Affirmative Pedagogies.

2. PRELIMINARY
 Trajectory of Narrative Research
 THEWINK OF POSSIBILITY,THE SMILE
OF CHANGE: Pedagogical study of
resilience Identity in situations of social,
cultural and legal disadvantage
◦ Ethnographic phase.
◦ Semi’s Life History.

3. Some key elements
to consider
 Palma Palmilla District
 Association of Integration of Palma
Palmilla
◦ Researching and volunteering
◦ The CBV
 Development of action groups in Palma Palmilla and
resources for the social agents.

4. Some concepts to become aware of
 Subjectivity and Identity
 Empowerment as a possibility
 Collaboration to achieve positive results

5. From the analysis towards
interpretation
 Semi’s Life Story
- Family, friends and local context
-Socio-Cultural Incorporations
 Tangible incorporation
 Incorporation of a reputation (respect and identity)
 Normalisation of a criminal lifestyle
 Milestones that generated extra incorporations (detentions)
 Innate Problems (Conflicts)
- Interpretations by narrating
-The change (resilience process)

6. Building a Pedagogical Resilience
Perspective of actions and thoughts
Cortés, P. (2013)

7. Aspects on the praxis (Semi’s voice)
 Possibility At that time all of us needed a lot of support and help in
order to have a range of posibilities, as Chule says. I tryed
to make blunders so as to be thrown out of the
organisation all the time, but I can’t find them. One of the
things that keeps me here is when i make a mistake, they
keep letting me off.And not only with me, for everyone.
I had to demostrate to him that he did not make a mistake when he trusted me, I
will try to behave properly. I begun to feel better in myself. I know myself, I know
that I am a worthy person but I have lost a lot in my life.Actually I have not lost
myself completly because I can say ‘who will take me away from my old life?’
(positive and negative experiences) I learnt a lot on how to survive on the streets. I
have lost a lot because of the shit but moreover it gave me a knowledge in relation
to how to quit it. I had so much hatred and I didn’t want to continue with this.

8.  Refraction
Before I entered the house, I saw
how Chule was a total street guy, a
drug addict and suddenly for many
years I saw him completly changed. I
thought he had gone mad.Then, after
some years, I didn’t know the Casa de
la BuenaVida, but the way he told me
come with us had an impact on me. I
was thinking, I am not his family or
whatever and he tried to help me, he
gave me a helping hand. He has a
great deal of experience in these
matters and for this reason he knows
what everyone needs. I saw his
insistence but I used to run away and
when they found me out, I was high
and carrying drugs with me… but
they continued looking for me.
All that gives me the strength and power to
continue, it is as I have left this hole I could
help more and more people. It is therapy for
me but It is also good for others, I want to
continue helping people.
Now It is when I am living happy, quite and
helping the others.Although I have changed
my life, I am good at doing this. In fact, I am a
social agent, I can help a lot of people. I am
here and this is all I want to do.

9.  Responsability
And when I started with the project
‘against failure school’, Chule used
to say to me that my penalty is to
drive all the kids to schools.And
myself I thought… look at him, he
beleives it is a penalty, but actually
this is what i want to do…
he knows I need it. It was hard but
I was so motivated.
This project (the path towards the
school) helped me a lot. Not only with
my children, but with all the kids of the
community.
I am looking forward to seeing the
Palmilla kids, that are the future, with
something else, something better that I
have ever had.

10. Last comments
 The struggle for dignity and happiness.
 Institutions, structures and daily acts.
 Affirmative Pedagogies.

11. Affirmative Pedagogies:
Living and coexisting in a disadvantaged
neighborhood (the case of Semi)
Pablo Cortés González
Universidad de Málaga
pcortes@uma.es
@temerel
Thanks!
Questions and comments…ECER 2013: ISTANBUL
EERA Network: 05. Children andYouth at
Risk and Urban Education
05 SES 08: Preventing Early School Leaving
and Affirmative Pedagogies.