Banca de DEFESA: KESLLIN BARBOSA VIANNA

THERE IS NO IPANEMA, THERE IS NO PAQUETÁ, THE ISLAND’S BEACHES COME FIRST: ENVIRONMENTAL PERCEPTION OF DIFFERENT GENERATIONS ON THE SOCIOSPATIAL TRANSFORMATIONS OCCURRING ON THE BEACHES OF GOVERNADOR ISLAND/RJ

Environmental perception, Ilha do Governador, land use, humanistic geography.

Perceptions of places may change depending on the generation that perceives them, as several socio-environmental transformations occur over time. Thus, this research aimed to analyze the environmental perception of three distinct age groups regarding two beaches on Ilha do Governador/RJ, namely: São Bento Beach, in the Galeão neighborhood, and Bica Beach, in the Jardim Guanabara neighborhood. The research proposes to analyze the transformations that have taken place on these beaches over time through the perspectives of different generations of visitors. By investigating environmental perceptions and the effects of urban and ecological changes, the study seeks to understand how the experience of these spaces contributed to the construction of local identity and to the way the population relates to the coastal environment. The general objective of this dissertation is to analyze the environmental perception of different generations concerning the socio-spatial transformations that have occurred on the beaches of Ilha do Governador, RJ. This study seeks to understand how distinct age groups interpret and assess the socio-spatial changes that have impacted these areas over time, considering the importance of these perceptions for the planning and sustainable management of urban space. The research methodology was structured as follows: first, the construction of the State of the Art, using concepts such as environmental perception, space, place, topophilia, topophobia, and the history of occupation of Ilha do Governador. Subsequently, a discussion of these concepts was carried out, followed by fieldwork and interviews with both former and current visitors of the beaches. The final stage consisted of the analysis of the interviews, based on Moraes and Galiazzi’s Discursive Textual Analysis (DTA) (2006; 2016). The research findings indicate that both beaches present distinct dynamics regarding their daytime and nighttime functions, as well as the preferences of their visitors according to time of day. Most of the 20- to 30-year-old group frequent the beaches at night, seeking leisure in trailers and kiosks. The 40- to 60-year-old group attend the beaches during both day and night, especially for sports activities at Bica Beach and fishing at São Bento Beach. The third group, in turn, demonstrates a more nostalgic view of the beaches, recalling them as clean spaces that once offered comprehensive leisure by combining sea bathing with food services at kiosks. This group currently tends to use the beaches in the morning, particularly in trailers and restaurants.