What do we know about academic initiation rituals called Praxe? How do students and the society embrace this social phenomenon? Due to recent events, the negative impacts of some dangerous rituals are discussed in the media, but students’ engagement and ways of acting is not the object of scientific studies, particularly through a Vygotskian approach. Social interactions play a main role in it and power issues too. Thus, an in-depth analysis of this cultural phenomenon is essential, in order to clarify its advantages and its dangers. We developed an exploratory research whose main goal was to study the attitudes about these rituals in their multiple dimensions: social, cognitive and affective. The participants were students, other individuals, and organized groups, in favor and against Praxe. The data collecting instruments were interviews, questionnaires, and documents. The results illustrate that different attitudes and practices subsist, as well as a great deal of lack of information.

1. Title:
Praxe in Portuguese Universities:
Opinions and practices through Vygotskian lenses
Authors and respective academic degrees, places of work and e-mails:
Patrícia Valério,
Graduation student
Universidade de Lisboa, Instituto de Educação, Portugal
pavalerio@gmail.com
Guilhermina Lobato Miranda,
Assistant professor, Universidade de Lisboa, Instituto de Educação, Portugal
gmiranda@ie.ulisboa.pt
Mailing address (of the first author/ presenting author):
Patrícia Valério
Rua do Tibre, LT 5.03.01ª 9. º B – Parque das Nações 1990-520 Lisboa
Reference to one of the conference themes: Educational Psychology
Preference for: Oral presentation

2. Praxe in Portuguese Universities:
Opinions and practices through Vygotskian lenses
Patrícia Valério & Guilhermina Lobato Miranda,
Universidade de Lisboa, Instituto de Educação, Portugal
pavalerio@gmail.com & gmiranda@ie.ulisboa.pt
Abstract
What do we know about academic initiation rituals called Praxe? How do students and
the society embrace this social phenomenon? Due to recent events, the negative impacts
of some dangerous rituals are discussed in the media, but students’ engagement and
ways of acting is not the object of scientific studies, particularly through a Vygotskian
approach. Social interactions play a main role in it and power issues too. Thus, an in-depth
analysis of this cultural phenomenon is essential, in order to clarify its advantages
and its dangers. We developed an exploratory research whose main goal was to study
the attitudes about these rituals in their multiple dimensions: social, cognitive and
affective. The participants were students, other individuals, and organized groups, in
favor and against Praxe. The data collecting instruments were interviews,
questionnaires, and documents. The results illustrate that different attitudes and
practices subsist, as well as a great deal of lack of information.
Key-words: Attitudes, Praxe rituals, Social interactions, Vygotskian approach.