This article aims to discuss the production of meanings about poverty, violence and work. According to the social, economic and cultural conditions, this work analyzes the intersections of gender, racial, social class and sexual girl's and boy's identities construction in the community spaces such as the street, the school and the home. Sixteen interviews and six discussion groups were carried out with girls and boys, between fifteen and eighteen years old, from fifth and eight grade in school. The understanding of the meanings of these girls and boys was based on theoretical and methodological social constructionism approach. The meaning of poverty is perceived by these girls and boys as burden. The violence is taken as concerning, but also as something natural. Work is used as a criterion to classify people, differentiating honest persons from delinquents, who do not work.
meaning production; identities; social reality