Socialization and trauma

the effects of the pandemic on opinions and attitudes of young people in Curitiba

Abstract

This article analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Brazilian political context on the values and attitudes of young people in Curitiba. The study’s hypothesis is that the pandemic intensified the phenomenon of political alienation and distrust in institutions among young people, affecting their confidence in the future and perception of politics. The methodology used is quantitative, employing a survey research method conducted in the city of Curitiba, Paraná, at two different time points: 2016, before the political radicalization and the pandemic, and in 2022. Data analysis presents the perception of young people regarding the pandemic, seeking to analyze the divergences among them regarding the effects of COVID-19 on their lives, and then the comparison between the young people of Curitiba in the two periods, aiming to identify possible significant changes in their perceptions and attitudes and assess whether these changes can be attributed to experiences occurred during the pandemic period. The results indicate that the events that took place between 2018 and 2022 did not cause substantial changes in the political culture of the youth in Curitiba, which remains ambivalent towards the political regime and its representatives, with the presence of authoritarian values and a pessimistic perspective on politics, suggesting that building a democratic political culture will require continuous and long-term efforts.