Formação em rede: Os integrantes do Programa de Extensão Universitária da UFMG Fórum Metrô conectados ao Facebook, ao Whatsapp e ao grupo de e-mail

Abstract

This research is a case study that investigates the interaction of 19 students through social networks on the internet: Facebook, Whatsapp and an email group. They are graduate students from various courses at the UFMG (the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil), who are participants in the Metropolitan Forum Extension Program (Forum Metrô), within the wider Youth and Adult Education national program (EJA) and, in their process of formation, discuss topics related to the proposal and the activities of the Program with the members of adult and youth education in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte (RMBH), where there are high levels of violence. Our approach is qualitative, and, beginning from the case study, the netnography is used (KOZINETS, 1998; AMARAL, NATAL & VIANA, 2009; MOZO, 2005). Then we describe the data collection tools and we present the challenges and solutions found. Subsequently, the theoretical framework is presented: from the ideas of Giddens (1991; 2001), Gumbrecht (1998) and Bauman (2009; 2013; 2014), it is discussed the concept of post-modernity; from the thoughts of Lévy (1999; 2003), Sibilia (2008) and Bauman (2013; 2014), it is discussed the temporality in digital times and we discuss the centrality of information nowadays, strengthened by the flow made possible by the internet. The results show that the use of social networks proved positive, that the information shared in virtual environments provided a dialogue with the themes addressed in the Forum Metrô, and that each kind of network has its own vocation, resulting in specific types of interactions.