Território do esperançar: o brincar e a construção do vínculo no ABC do Glória

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to understand how play contributes to the formation of emotional bonds among children at play. To this end, we present a theoretical essay, written from the perspective of a volunteer at the ABC do Glória Civil Society Organization, investigating the emotional bonds formed in child-adult and child-child relationships, based on the social and political commitment of psychology in conjunction with popular education, which guides institutional practice. The discussion is structured around four pillars: (a) the Freirean pedagogical approach and the concept of “esperançar” (fostering hope), understood as an ethical-political and affective praxis that guides the daily institutional life of ABC do Glória and the relationship among volunteers, beneficiaries, and the community; (b) Vygotsky’s contribution to conceptualizing play as a foundational activity for child development, mediating affectivity and the constitution of the subject within their social relationships, (c) the articulation of the theoretical framework with two scenarios drawn from the volunteer’s institutional experience, using pseudonyms in accordance with ethical principles, and (d) the importance of non-formal education spaces in the teaching-learning process and the distancing of School Psychology from these spaces. It is concluded that play, far from being a merely recreational activity, asserts itself as a practice of resistance, care, and social transformation, contributing to broadening the academic debate on the role of School Psychology in contexts of popular education and social vulnerability.