Libório, Renata Maria CoimbraUngar, Michael2014-05-272014-05-272013-09-20Journal of Youth Studies.1367-62611469-9680http://hdl.handle.net/11449/76608A visual methods study was conducted with 16 at-risk youth living in a mid-sized Brazilian city. In this study, we focus on data obtained from four of those youth who were working adolescents, aged 13-15, and identify contextually specific protective processes associated with resilience. Through a reciprocal process of collaborative research that included observation, photo elicitation, video recording of a 'day in the life' of each youth, and semi-structured interviews, youth and researchers co-constructed an understanding of adaptive coping in a particularly challenging social environment. By employing techniques from grounded theory to analyze the data, we identified a pattern of protagonism among these youth that enabled them to maintain well-being despite exploitation as working children. This conceptualization of protagonism as a protective process has implications for human service workers who intervene to improve the living conditions of working children. © 2013 Taylor & Francis.engcultural practicesday-in-the life methodologypersonal agencyprotagonismresilienceworking childrenArtigo10.1080/13676261.2013.834313WOS:000334036800008Acesso restrito2-s2.0-84884188731