Public policies for the inclusion of young people in peripheral contexts: the case of the Escolhas programme (2001-2023)

Authors

  • Pedro Abrantes Universidade Aberta, Laboratório de Educação a Distância e eLearning (LE@D) e Iscte—Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Centro de Investigação e Estudos de Sociologia (CIES-Iscte), Lisboa, Portugal
  • Otávio Raposo Iscte — Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Centro de Investigação e Estudos de Sociologia (CIES-Iscte), Lisboa, Portugal
  • Lígia Ferro Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto, Instituto de Sociologia da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
  • Pedro Varela Iscte — Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Centro de Investigação e Estudos de Sociologia (CIES-Iscte), Lisboa, Portugal
  • Beatriz Lacerda Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto, Instituto de Sociologia da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
  • Teresa Seabra Iscte — Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Centro de Investigação e Estudos de Sociologia (CIES-Iscte), Lisboa, Portugal
  • Mateus Sadock Iscte — Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Centro de Investigação e Estudos de Sociologia (CIES-Iscte), Lisboa, Portugal
  • Liliana Moreira Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo (AIMA, I. P.), Porto, Portugal
  • João Teixeira Lopes Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto, Instituto de Sociologia da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7458/SPP202510939301

Keywords:

public policies, social intervention, exclusion, youth, neighbourhoods, inequalities

Abstract

This article discusses public policies for the inclusion of young people in areas marked by urban segregation and social marginalisation, based on an analysis of Escolhas, the main public programme in Portugal in this field. The article begins with a review of the international literature, which systematises policy trends in this field and explores their social effects. After a methodological note, the evolution of the Escolhas programme is characterised, and some of its impacts and limitations are sketched, based on a systematic content-analysis of the minutes of the Council of Ministers’ Resolutions and external evaluation reports between 2001 and 2023. Finally, considering the results obtained, we reflect on the relationship between Escolhas and the condition of young people in peripheral contexts, setting out some implications for scientific research and public policy.

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Published

2025-11-12

Issue

Articles in continuous publication

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2025 Pedro Abrantes, Otávio Raposo, Lígia Ferro, Pedro Varela, Beatriz Lacerda, Teresa Seabra, Mateus Sadock, Liliana Moreira, João Teixeira Lopes

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