A legislação ambiental como foco de conflitos: uma análise a partir das representações sociais da natureza dos pequenos agricultores em Minas Gerais, Brasil

Abstract

Artigo recebido em 24/06/2011 e aceito para publicação em 20/08/2012 RESUMO:A legislação ambiental, freqüentemente, não está sendo respeitada por pequenos produtores rurais. Este trabalho busca entender as razões para este comportamento a partir da análise das representações sociais da natureza e do meio ambiente deste grupo social. Como resultado, constatamos que as representações sociais que formam a base da legislação ambiental não levaram em conta as necessidades básicas para a sobrevivência dos agricultores familiares. Tais necessidades apenas podem ser satisfeitas através do uso de áreas consideradas de alto valor para a preservação do meio natural. Embora os agricultores familiares já tenham incluído a visão oficial da natureza refletida na legislação ambiental no seu imaginário -formando representações sociais híbridas entre visões de mundo modernas e tradicionais -são as materialidades dos seus modos de vida que explicam as aparentes contradições nos seus atos. Desta forma, consideramos a análise das representações sociais uma ferramenta importante na identificação das razões que levam a violações da legislação, que por sua vez podem indicar conflitos ambientais duradouros entre estes grupos e o aparelho repressivo do Estado. Palavras-chave: agricultura familiar, legislação ambiental, representações sociais, conflitos ambientais ABSTRACT: Environmental legislation is often not being respected by small farmers. This work seeks to understand the reasons for this behavior through the analysis of social representations of nature and environment of the social group in question. As a result we found out that the social representations which configure the basis of the environmental legislation did not take into account the basic needs for the survival of family farmers. These needs can only be met through the use of areas considered of high value to preserve the natural environment. Allthough the farmers have included in their imagination the official view of nature reflected in the environmental legislation -forming hybrid social representations between modern and traditional world views -it is the materiality of their livelyhoods that explain the apparent contradictions in their actions. Thus, we consider the analysis of social representations an important tool to identify the underlying reasons that lead to violations of the law, which might indicate long-term environmental conflicts between these groups and the repressive state apparatus.

Natures instead of nature—plural perceptions and representations of nature and its challenges for ecological transition: a systematic review of the scientific production

“…This understanding of nature facilitates mechanisms of exploitation and poverty, taking advantage of the favourable environmental, economic, and sociocultural conditions existing in the regions to extract minerals and other riches of nature [151]. As an object distant from humans, nature is only valued and protected because it can enhance humans' quality of life or provide material resources for humankind, translating the instrumental value [152][153][154]. Nevertheless, within this category, the socioenvironmental conflicts gained particular relevance [155][156][157] as an "arena of citizen activism" [158] of a dispute over the management of the use of natural resources, putting local understandings of nature and scientific knowledge that foster social conflicts face to face, namely in what configures "domination" and what does not.…”

“…Several studies documented experiences and complexities, mostly with farmers, which justify the dominion for using and developing nature through farming methods and technologies. Often, dominion is used alongside or within an understanding of stewardship [153,[159][160][161], which exhorts responsibility towards nature, seeing farmers as co-creators with God, able to make creation more than it was [162,163]. Therefore, and considering this, it is understood that they are not damaging the environment [164].…”