Hombres jóvenes del poniente de Ciudad Juárez: construyendo identidades en contextos de violencia

The purpose of the present study was to analyze the process of identity construction in six young men from the west of Ciudad Juárez, in northern Mexico. Qualitative research was carried out using participant observation and semi-structured interviewing as the main co-construction technique, focusing on everyday life and significant affective experiences in their life trajectories. Fieldwork was carried out between 2016 and 2017. The analysis of the data shows that violence, often fatal and predominantly represented by drug trafficking groups, is the main driver in participants’ affective and everyday lives. It was also found that young people respond to violence pragmatically by constructing identities that allow them to safeguard their integrity and remain part of the social context.