Representações sociais de catadores de recicláveis de São Bernardo do Campo (SP)
Data
2023-01-04
Autores
Resende, Beatriz Oliveira 
Orientadores
Costa, Rosangela Calado da
Tipo
Trabalho de conclusão de curso
Título da Revista
ISSN da Revista
Título de Volume
Resumo
Pode-se entender o desenvolvimento sustentável como um processo contínuo de redução de
privações – ou seja, redução de situações como fome, morbidez, analfabetismo, entre outras –,
em circunstâncias que possibilitem a continuidade dos serviços prestados pelos ecossistemas.
Uma forma de conhecer as privações pelas quais um grupo social passa é investigar suas
representações sociais, as quais podem ser entendidas como o conhecimento partilhado por um
grupo, permeado pelas individualidades de cada pessoa. Nesse sentido, este estudo pretendeu
investigar as representações sociais de catadores de recicláveis sobre si mesmos, bem como as
dificuldades encontradas na realização de suas atividades. Para isso, foram preenchidos
formulários mediante realização de conversas com catadores de recicláveis do município de
São Bernardo do Campo (SP). Na primeira parte do formulário, buscou-se conhecer as
representações sociais dos participantes desta pesquisa, a partir da aplicação da técnica de
Evocação Livre de Palavras (ELP), com o termo indutor “catador”; a segunda parte foi
destinada a coletar informações sobre o perfil dos participantes e as dificuldades encontradas
por eles para a realização de sua atividade. As representações sociais obtidas indicaram que o
grupo de catadores participantes desta pesquisa associaram o termo indutor “catador” com
necessidades básicas, as quais levaram os respondentes a se envolver com a atividade de catação
como um meio de sobrevivência. As principais dificuldades encontradas pelos participantes da
pesquisa para a atividade de catador dizem respeito ao preço de venda dos materiais; à procura
de material em condições climáticas desfavoráveis, como dias de chuva e de calor intensos; à
busca improdutiva de material; e à exposição ao risco de contaminação durante a catação. Foi
possível verificar que os catadores participantes desta pesquisa estão submetidos a diversas
privações, as quais representam obstáculos para que esse grupo alcance condições de trabalho
mais dignas e melhor qualidade de vida.
It is possible understand sustainable development as a continuous process of reducing privation – i.e., reducing situations such as hunger, morbidity, illiteracy, among others –, in circumstances that allow ecosystem services provision. One way of knowing the privations that a social group goes through is to investigate their social representations, which can be understood as the knowledge shared by a group, permeated by the individualities of each person. In this sense, this study intended to investigate the social representations of recyclable waste pickers about themselves, as well as the difficulties encountered in carrying out their activities. For this, forms were filled out through conversations with recyclable waste pickers in the municipality of São Bernardo do Campo (SP). In the first part of the form, we sought to know the social representations of the participants in this research, based on the application of the Free Evocation of Words technique, with the inducing term “picker” (“catador”, in Portuguese language); the second part was intended to collect information about the profile of the participants and the difficulties encountered by them in carrying out their activity. The social representations obtained indicated that the group of pickers participating in this research associated the inducing term “picker” with basic needs, which led the respondents to get involved with the activity of pickering as a means of survival. The main difficulties encountered by the research participants for the activity of waste pickering are related to the selling price of the materials; looking for material in unfavorable climatic conditions, such as days of rain and intense heat; the unproductive search for material; and exposure to the risk of contamination during the activiy. It was possible to verify that the recyclable waste pickers participating in this research are submitted to several privations, which represent obstacles for this group to reach more dignified working conditions and a better quality of life.
It is possible understand sustainable development as a continuous process of reducing privation – i.e., reducing situations such as hunger, morbidity, illiteracy, among others –, in circumstances that allow ecosystem services provision. One way of knowing the privations that a social group goes through is to investigate their social representations, which can be understood as the knowledge shared by a group, permeated by the individualities of each person. In this sense, this study intended to investigate the social representations of recyclable waste pickers about themselves, as well as the difficulties encountered in carrying out their activities. For this, forms were filled out through conversations with recyclable waste pickers in the municipality of São Bernardo do Campo (SP). In the first part of the form, we sought to know the social representations of the participants in this research, based on the application of the Free Evocation of Words technique, with the inducing term “picker” (“catador”, in Portuguese language); the second part was intended to collect information about the profile of the participants and the difficulties encountered by them in carrying out their activity. The social representations obtained indicated that the group of pickers participating in this research associated the inducing term “picker” with basic needs, which led the respondents to get involved with the activity of pickering as a means of survival. The main difficulties encountered by the research participants for the activity of waste pickering are related to the selling price of the materials; looking for material in unfavorable climatic conditions, such as days of rain and intense heat; the unproductive search for material; and exposure to the risk of contamination during the activiy. It was possible to verify that the recyclable waste pickers participating in this research are submitted to several privations, which represent obstacles for this group to reach more dignified working conditions and a better quality of life.