Português Portoguês

Abstract

This ongoing research, grounded in psychoanalytic theory, examines contemporary malaise – understood here, based on the work of Sigmund Freud, as the discomfort arising from the conflict between individual desires and societal and cultural constraints – among undergraduate literature and chemistry students at the Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of São Paulo, Sertãozinho campus. Our goal is to analyze how neoliberalism, as a dominant paradigm in contemporary society, (re)shapes these students’ subjective experiences through the normative and educational processes they undergo. Based on this analysis, we aim to develop a theoretical framework to inform institutional strategies that mitigate potential barriers to their full development. Methodologically, we integrate qualitative and quantitative approaches, combining a critical comparative analysis of selected literature with data from a semi-structured questionnaire – administered to all undergraduate students – and interviews with eight volunteer students in our focus group. This article presents the bibliography consulted thus far, which serves as a foundation for formulating potential hypotheses and identifying key areas for further exploration. As the research progresses, additional references may be incorporated to enhance and refine its theoretical and methodological framework.