[pt] A tese em questão versa sobre a análise dos impactos da instalação do Aproveitamento Hidrelétrico de Simplício e suas implicações sociais, ambientais e econômicas vivenciadas pela população residente no município de Sapucaia, estado do Rio de Janeiro, por ser a cidade sede do empreendimento, assim como as áreas do seu entorno. Partiu-se para investigação, tomando como pressuposto que a implantação de uma Usina Hidrelétrica, impulsiona uma importante guinada no processo de desenvolvimento local, e tal aspecto, interfere diretamente na dinâmica da vida da população residente. Sendo assim, busca-se saber quais os mecanismos de escuta foram efetivados para garantir a participação popular na época de implantação do empreendimento, e qual a relação estabelecida até os dias atuais com os munícipes, na garantia de uma prática democrática e de participação social, considerando que os impactos promovidos na vida dos sujeitos afetados, são inúmeros, em função das mudanças econômicas, sociais, ambientais, culturais, políticas entre outras na realidade local. O estudo além da continua pesquisa documental e bibliográfica, pautou-se na investigação de cunho qualitativo que permitiu melhor compreender e explicar a dinâmica das relações sociais, e com isto aproximar o pesquisador da realidade investigada. Como coleta de dados, utilizou-se a aplicação de questionários com os sujeitos eleitos e envolvidos com o objeto da pesquisa. O quadro teórico do estudo, foi pautado na perspectiva crítica que permitiu análise, interpretação e descrição dos dados, considerando que tanto os aspectos econômicos, sociais e ambientais presentes a partir do empreendimento hidrelétrico, são decorrentes da estratégia capitalista, que concorre para o desmantelamento e retrocesso das conquistas democráticas, com o alijamento das instâncias de controle social e de incipientes meios de participação popular, elementos que estiveram presentes e impactaram a realidade investigada. / [en] The thesis in question deals with the analysis of the impacts of the installation of the Simplício Hydroelectric Plant and its social, environmental and economic implications experienced by the population living in the municipality of Sapucaia, state of Rio de Janeiro, as it is the host city of the enterprise, as well as the surrounding areas. We started to investigate, assuming that the implantation of a Hydroelectric Plant, drives an important turn in the local development process, and this aspect, directly interferes in the dynamics of the life of the resident population. Therefore, we seek to know which listening mechanisms were put in place to guarantee popular participation at the time of the project s implementation, and what relationship has been established up to the present day with citizens, in guaranteeing a democratic practice and social participation, considering that the impacts promoted in the lives of the affected subjects are numerous, due to the economic, social, environmental, cultural, political changes, among others in the local reality. The study, in addition to the continuous documentary and bibliographic research, was based on a qualitative investigation that allows a better understanding and explanation of the dynamics of social relations, thereby bringing the researcher closer to the investigated reality. As data collection, questionnaires were used with the elected subjects and involved with the research object. The theoretical framework of the study, was based on the critical perspective that allowed analysis, interpretation and description of the data, considering that both the economic, social and environmental aspects present from the hydroelectric enterprise are due to the capitalist strategy, which contributes to the dismantling and retrogression of democratic conquests, with the elimination of instances of social control and incipient means of popular participation, elements that were present and impacted the investigated reality.

[pt] A presente dissertação visa analisar no âmbito municipal de Cachoeiras de Macacu, o processo de participação social do Grupo de Acompanhamento da Despoluição do Rio Macacu, frente à gestão pública, tanto na formulação, como na implementação de políticas públicas. A pesquisa realizada foi de cunho qualitativo e o percurso metodológico que a ancorou, apoiou-se em pesquisa de cunho documental e bibliográfico, objetivando ampliar o conhecimento tanto do ponto do vista da legislação, bem como por meio dos documentos produzidos internamente pelo Grupo sujeito da pesquisa, a fim de compreender a dinâmica empreendida através das atas de reuniões, resoluções, dentre outros documentos produzidos, o que nos permitiu identificar qual a forma utilizada por eles para contribuir na dinâmica de formulações de políticas, além de outras ações. Já a pesquisa de campo, inicialmente efetivada pela observação direta, favoreceu identificar as ações cotidianas do Grupo, o que auxiliou nas análises. Foi aberto também um canal de escuta por meio da realização de entrevistas semiestruturadas, com os sujeitos envolvidos, tanto da sociedade civil como do poder público, que permitiu melhor aproximação da realidade, bem como compreender vários aspectos desenvolvido pelo Grupo a partir das falas. O conjunto de instrumentos utilizados contribuiu para sistematização dos dados coletados e análises das falas permitindo desenhar um panorama composto de resultados e propostas advindos da ação desenvolvida pelo Grupo, revelando que a efetivação do processo participativo demanda um conjunto de esforços a serem desempenhados tanto pela sociedade civil quanto aos sujeitos envolvidos no interior das agências públicas no desenvolvimento da gestão democrática. Espera-se que esta pesquisa possa contribuir para fortalecer outras práticas democráticas tão importantes para defesa dos direitos da população, incluindo o direito de participar diretamente da administração pública, assim como ampliar o conhecimento através da produção acadêmica que revele pontos importantes da prática cidadã que chancela a sociedade civil, em ações voltadas para formulação de políticas públicas, que neste estudo, em especial, estão voltadas também, para as questões socioambientais. / [en] This dissertation aims to analyze in the municipal scope of Cachoeiras de Macacu, the social participation process of the Macacu River Depollution Monitoring Group, in front of public management, both in the formulation and in the implementation of public policies. The research carried out was of a qualitative nature and the methodological path that anchored it, was supported by documentary and bibliographic research, aiming to expand the knowledge both from the point of view of the legislation, as well as through the documents produced internally by the Group subject of the research , in order to understand the dynamics undertaken through the minutes of meetings, resolutions and other documents produced, which allowed us to identify which form they used to contribute to the dynamics of policy formulation in addition to other actions. The field research, initially carried out by direct observation, favored the identification of the Group s daily actions, which helped in the analyzes. A listening channel was also opened by conducting semi-structured interviews with the subjects involved, both from civil society and the government, which allowed for a better approximation of reality, as well as understanding various aspects developed by the Group based on the speeches. The set of instruments used contributed to the systematization of the data collected and the analysis of the speeches, allowing to draw a panorama composed of results and proposals arising from the action developed by the Group, revealing that the effectiveness of the participatory process requires a set of efforts to be performed both by society civil society regarding the subjects involved within public agencies in the development of democratic management. It is hoped that this research can contribute to strengthen other democratic practices so important to defend the rights of the population, including the right to participate directly in public administration, as well as expand knowledge through academic production that reveals important points of the citizen practice that seal civil society, in actions aimed at formulating public policies, which in this study, in particular, are also focused on socio-environmental issues.

The aim of this study is presented by two steps. The first is to gain an insight into what students think regarding sustainable development and religion. The second is to investigate what content in sustainable development can be used in religious studies through the students' perspective and how this content can be implemented to promote the work for sustainable development in schools. Seventeen qualitative semi-structured interviews with mainly open questions are performed. The focus is to get information about how Swedish high school students reason about and reflect on sustainable development and how they reflect on its connection to religion and to religious studies. The empirical result is analysed and discussed. The conclusions show that the respondents wish a sustainable society with a lifestyle without excessive consumption and thereby without environmental problems, with security and with a good education. They emphasize the importance of a meaningful, safe, and challenging education on religious studies. They are willing to discuss in depth and with respect for the different opinions that may emerge, about different perceptions of sustainable development that are related to the different identities and ways of religious lifestyles. This can be achieved through a communicative approach in the classroom, with a goal to create the dialogic classroom

Thesis (PhD) -- Stellenbosch University, 2001. / Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: My study investigates opportunities that may currently be available to enable the transformation of post-apartheid teacher education. I examine two case studies of my own professional practice. The first case study involves in-service education work that I performed with teachers in a local community, Grassy Park. The second case study represents work I performed with students in a pre-service education programme at the University of Stellenbosch. My study aims to: • Critically examine the implications of social issues, particularly environmental issues, for pedagogical practices generally and for South African pedagogical work in particular. • Critically review the changing socio-historical determinants of pedagogical practices in South African teacher education. • Investigate changing pedagogical practices by describing and reflecting on work done in my own professional contexts as a science/environmental teacher educator at a historically Afrikaner university. With respect to teacher education, Pendlebury (1998) argues that we are seeing shifts in public space, evaluative space, pedagogical space and institutional space from insulated space (hidden from public scrutiny) to a more porous space. In this study I am concerned with pedagogical space that, in Pendlebury's (1998:345) terms determines 'who may learn (or teach), how and what they learn (or teach), when and for how long and where'. I use these categories of Pendlebury (1998:345) together with Turnbull's (1997) perspectives on knowledge production as conceptual tools to frame my analyses of the cases. Although a significant part of my study focuses on classroom practices, I take pedagogy to have a much broader meaning that incorporates in Hernandez's (1997:11) terms 'all spaces in which knowledge is produced and identities are formed'. This research report offers a brief insight into the complexities of change at the micro-level of classroom practices. But, importantly also contextualises these micro-level pedagogical practices within broader socio-historical determinants and provides praxiological comments on postapartheid education policies. The research also initiates an investigation into the social organisation of trust in post-apartheid South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie ondersoek ek die geleenthede vir die transformasie van onderwyseropleiding in die post-apartheidsera. Ek bespreek twee gevallestudies uit my eie professionele praktyk. Die eerste gevallestudie handel oor die indiensopleiding van onderwysers in Grassy Park, 'n plaaslike gemeenskap. Die tweede gevallestudie handel oor die werk wat ek met studente in 'n voorgraadse onderrigprogram aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch gedoen het. Die studie het die volgende ten doel: • 'n Kritiese ondersoek na die uitwerking van sosiale aspekte, met die klem op omgewingsaangeleenthede, op opvoedkundige praktyke in die algemeen en op die Suid- Afrikaanse opvoedkundige praktyk in die besonder. • 'n Kritiese oorsig oor die sosio-historiese veranderinge wat deeI vorm van die opleiding van Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysers. • 'n Ondersoek na veranderende opvoedkundige praktyke aan die hand van 'n beskrywing van en refleksie op my eie professionele werk as dosent in die wetenskap/omgewingsopvoeding aan 'n historiese Afrikaanse universiteit. Ten opsigte van onderwyseropleiding beweer Pendlebury (1998) dat verskuiwings in die publieke ruimte, evaluerende ruimte, pedagogiese ruimte en institusionele ruimte, plaasvind van 'n afgesonderde ruimte (verberg vir publieke waarnemimg/evaluasie) na 'n meer deursigtige ruimte. In hierdie studie fokus ek op die pedagogiese ruimte wat, volgens Pendlebury (1998:345), bepaal 'who may learn (or teach), how and what they learn (or teach), when and for how long and where'. Ek gebruik Pendlebury (1998: 345) se kategoriee saam met Turnbull (1997) se perspektiewe oor kennisproduksie as konseptuele raamwerk vir my analise van die twee gevallestudies. Alhoewel 'n beduidende gedeelte van my studie op klaskamerpraktyke fokus, moet die term pedagogie(k) volgens my 'n veel breer betekenis verband gesien word om ook Hernandez (1997: 11) se 'all spaces in which knowledge is produced and identities are formed' intesluit. Hierdie navorsingsverslag lig die komplekse aard van transformasie op die mikro-vlak van klaskamerpraktyke toe. Van groot belang is ook die kontekstualisering van opvoedkundige praktyke op mikro-vlak binne die breer sosio-historiese veranderlikes en lewer praktykverwante kommentaar op die opvoedkundige beleid van die post-apartheidsera. Die navorsing dien ook as vertrekpunt om sosiale vertroue in die post-apartheids-Suid-Afrika te ondersoek.

L’Organisation des Nations Unies (ONU) – une organisation unique à vocation universelle possédant sa propre personnalité juridique contrairement aux autres organisations internationales soumises, elles, au droit international, et disposant du pouvoir de définir ses relations avec les tiers ou parties prenantes, agit dans le cadre d’un système de gouvernance à deux niveaux. Ce système est composé d’une part de mécanismes de « gouvernance externe » (pour une coordination entre différents acteurs comme les États, les Ministères, les autres institutions internationales, les entreprises et les Organisations non gouvernementales) et d’autre part de dispositifs de « gouvernement interne » (cf. Bouquin & Kuszla, 2014), qui encadrent les différents organes de l’ONU. L’articulation de ces deux formes de gouvernance doit assurer la mise en œuvre des politiques internationales. Ces politiques prennent la forme de plans ou programmes d’action dans différents domaines, en particulier dans le domaine environnemental. Même si cet axe ne fait pas partie des missions historiques de l’ONU comme la paix et la sécurité internationale, il a pris de l’importance à partir de 1972 avec la création du Programme des Nations Unies pour l’environnement – PNUE. Bien que ses missions aient évolué, le PNUE n’a jamais été aussi faible. L'analyse des configurations de contrôle du PNUE nécessite une approche sociologique prenant en compte les interactions entre les acteurs et la structure (théorie de la structuration et des métaorganisations). La comparaison de deux études de cas mit au jour trois configurations de contrôle des organisations à vocation universelle et une grille d’analyse des facteurs à prendre en compte pour assurer une articulation cohérente de leurs deux formes de gouvernance. / The United Nations (UN) – an atypical organization with its own legal personality unlike other international organizations, has the power to define its relationships with all its stakeholders and is acting within a system of governance at two levels: one of "external governance" (for coordination between different actors such as governments, other international institutions, international funds, businesses and non-governmental organizations) and one of internal governance (Bouquin, Kuszla, 2014) which frames the various UN bodies. The articulation of those two forms of governance ensures the implementation of international policies at the national level. These policies take the form of plans or programs of action in various fields, especially in the environmental field. Although this axis is not part of the historic UN missions such as peace and international security, it gradually took on some importance in 1972 with the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme - UNEP. Although its missions and its organizational control model have progressively changed, UNEP’s governance has never been that weak. Analysis of UNEP’s control configurations requires a sociological approach that captures the interactions between actors and structure (structuration and metaorganizations theory). The comparison of two case studies carried out in a situation of participant observation revealed three universal’s organizational control configurations and a grid of factors to be considered in order a coherent articulation of these organizations’ two forms of governance.

L’idée de ce sujet de thèse a émergé du constat des difficultés auxquelles sont aujourd’hui confrontés les aménageurs de grands projets d’infrastructures linéaires. Le contexte actuel leur impose de prendre en compte les enjeux environnementaux, notamment en termes de préservation des milieux naturels et de la biodiversité, à différentes échelles, tout en veillant à faire aboutir leurs projets dans de bonnes conditions, sans surcoûts. Cependant, les maîtres d’ouvrage de grands projets d’infrastructures linéaires peinent pourtant à intégrer ces enjeux efficacement faute de méthodes et d’outils adaptés. Dans ce contexte, cette thèse propose une lecture et une analyse de l’évaluation environnementale au travers du prisme d’une géographie environnementale et d’une géographie de l’aménagement expérimentales et de l’étude d’un projet à enjeux environnementaux à échelles emboîtées, du niveau européen au niveau local, avec son lot de contradictions scalaires : le projet Seine-Nord Europe. Tout d’abord, au travers de la présentation et de l’évaluation de ce projet au regard de la prise en compte de ces enjeux, cette thèse se veut une contribution théorique à la connaissance des dynamiques et des stratégies d’aménagement et de leur trajectoire en matière d’intégration des enjeux environnementaux : la biodiversité et la question de la préservation des milieux naturels constituent l’enjeu environnemental plus particulièrement envisagé. D’autre part, cette thèse est aussi conçue comme une recherche-action et un accompagnement de la maîtrise d’ouvrage. Trois outils d’évaluation de la vulnérabilité écologique des milieux le long du tracé du projet ont ainsi été élaborés pour répondre à cet objectif. / This thesis is led by difficulties experienced by planners during linear infrastructure studies and developments. In the present context, they have to ensure a successful project without any extra cost while also taking into account environmental issues at different scales, as natural habitats and biodiversity protection. Until recently, these issues were not a main source of concern and studies were carried out to simply cover regulatory requirements as environmental assessment. Nevertheless, since The Grenelle Environment Forum, environment concerns have been considered as a key challenge for linear infrastructure projects in spite of difficulties due to a lack of process and efficient tools. Therefore this thesis provides an environmental assessment analysis based on environmental and experimental spatial planning geography and focused on the North-Seine canal project with some inconsistencies from European to local scale. Firstly, based on the description and analysis of this project, this thesis is a contribution to the knowledge improvement of planning strategies and the way they take into account environment issues: biodiversity and natural resources and environment protection are the main environmental concerns. Furthermore, this thesis is also designed as an “action research” and a help for project planners and managers with effective help. Three different ecological vulnerability assessment tools have been created to analyze natural resources and environments along the route proposition and they are described in this paper.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-21T14:42:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Reshad Tawfeiq.pdf: 4057394 bytes, checksum: 401fda5a48a429350eb208c549a4d912 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-04 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The following research subscribes itself to the political debate which has as its The following research subscribes itself to the political debate which has as its themes the environment, the relation between the society and nature, the global socio-environmental challenges, and the overcoming of a historical contradiction between the capitalist economy and the lives of humans and other beings. The historical of the industrial and productive processes, which culminated with the neoliberal globalization (around forty years ago), lead the planet to an unprecedented level of devastation, a period during which, contradictorily, there was more talk about nature and the environmental challenge. As such, due to the tragic effects of the historical and social processes of the relation between the capitalist society and the environment – seen as a political, social, economic and cultural totality -, the following research has, as a general objective, to apprehend the mediations between the great and catastrophic environmental tendencies and the policy regarding solid waste in the city of Ponta Grossa/PR, given the current crisis regarding such waste in the city. The goal is to identify and comprehend the way in which this local policy does or does not incorporate the discourse for global rationality. The theoreticalmethodological nucleus of this research was built from the propositions of the worldsystems theory, which were developed through contributions of its main adepts, such as the American sociologist Immanuel Wallerstein; its proposer, Italian political economist Giovanni Arrighi; and the Brazilian thinkers Theotonio dos Santos and Carlos Walter Porto-Gonçalves, who, without abandoning the critical theory and the dialectic method of Marx and his classic categories such as mediation, contradiction, totality and history, promote the reconstruction of some of these categories and take up other new ones to form the central nucleus of their theoretical approach. For the treatment and analysis of the researched data, the qualitative method was utilized. As an instrument of research, the semi-structured interview was utilized, directed at the managers responsible for the policy regarding solid waste in the city of Ponta Grossa/PR. This research, however, inserts itself into a wider proposal within the environmental debate, discussing the rationalities that underlie the relations of the human being with nature, and understanding the environmental challenge not just as an economical and technological one, but, above all, as an ethical, social, and political challenge. / A presente pesquisa se inscreve no debate político que tem por tema o meio ambiente, a relação sociedade-natureza, os desafios socioambientais globais e a superação de uma contradição histórica entre economia capitalista e equilíbrio da vida humana e dos demais seres bióticos. O histórico dos processos industriais e produtivos, que culminou na globalização neoliberal (há cerca de 40 anos), conduziu o planeta a uma devastação sem precedentes em toda a história da humanidade, período em que, contraditoriamente, mais se falou da natureza e em que o próprio desafio ambiental se colocou como tal. Desta forma, em razão dos trágicos efeitos dos processos históricos e sociais da relação entre sociedade capitalista e natureza - vista como totalidade política, social, econômica e cultural - o presente trabalho tem por objetivo geral apreender na crise contemporânea dos resíduos sólidos no município de Ponta Grossa/PR as mediações existentes entre as grandes e catastróficas tendências ambientais globalizadas e a política municipal de resíduos sólidos, procurando identificar e compreender a forma com a qual esta política local incorpora ou não o discurso da racionalidade global. O núcleo teórico-metodológico desta pesquisa foi construído a partir das proposições da teoria sistema-mundo, desenvolvidas através das contribuições de seus principais adeptos, como o sociólogo estadunidense Immanuel Wallerstein, seu propositor, o economista político italiano Giovanni Arrighi, e os pensadores brasileiros Theotonio dos Santos e Carlos Walter Porto-Gonçalves, que, sem abandonarem a teoria crítica e o método dialético de Marx e suas clássicas categorias como mediação, contradição, totalidade e história, promovem a reconstrução de algumas destas categorias e se apropriam de outras novas para formar o núcleo central de sua abordagem teórica. Para o tratamento e análise dos dados pesquisados utilizou-se o método qualitativo. Como instrumento de pesquisa, utilizou-se a entrevista semi-estruturada dirigida aos gestores responsáveis pela política de resíduos sólidos no município de Ponta Grossa/PR. Este trabalho, portanto, insere-se numa proposta mais ampla dentro do debate ambiental, discutindo as racionalidades subjacentes às relações do homem com a natureza e compreendendo o desafio ambiental não apenas como um desafio econômico e tecnológico, mas, sobretudo, como um desafio ético, social e político.

Jag har under detta arbete undersökt hur företaget MAD ELF ART kan arbeta med miljö och sociala aspekter i produktionen. Min uppgift har varit att lokalisera en materialleverantör och producent som kan arbeta med detta på bästa sätt.Under arbetets gång har jag kontaktat flera materialleverantörer och producenter och undersökt hur de jobbar med dessa aspekter. Samtidigt har jag även fördjupat mig i hur man kan ta hänsyn till miljö och sociala aspekter i produktionen, för att undersöka hur vi bäst kan arbeta med det.Vad jag kommit fram till är att materialvalet är det viktigaste och det som skiljer en produkt från att vara en miljöbov och en fara för människor till miljövänlig. Därför har jag i bilagan presenterat en leverantör och producent av materialet 100% silke som är ekologiskt färgad och handvävd. Silke lämnar inget energi-fotavtryck och går att återvinna. Jag tror och hoppas att framtiden kommer handla om att producera alltmer ekologiskt och samtidigt ta vara på det vi har istället för att producera nytt, detta genom ett återvinningssystem för textilier. Utvecklingen hos stora företag pekar även på att det i framtiden kommer att vara en självklarhet att ha uppförandekoder på fabriker och jobba med CSR. Därför är även det viktigt för MAD ELF ART.I have looked into how MAD ELF ART can work with environmental and social aspects during production. My assignment has been to find a materialsupplier and manufacturer who can work with this in the best way possible.During this work I have contacted several materialsuppliers and manufacturers and examined how they work with these aspects. At the same time I have also looked into how we can deal with social and environmental aspects to find the best way for us to work with this.I have come to the conclusion that the choice of material is the most important and what differs a product from being a danger for the environment and human beings to a environmental friend. Because of that I will present a materialsupplier and manufacturer who can provide the material 100% silk wich is organically dyed and handwoven. Silk leaves no energy-footprint and is recycable. I believe that the future will have more focus on the environment and that we will work with more ecologic materials and instead of producing new products, we will recycle what we have through a recyclingsystem for textiles. The development of big companies also points in the direcetion that it will be natural for all companies to have a Code of conduct and work with Corporal Social Responsility. / Program: Textil produktutveckling med entreprenörs- och affärsinriktning

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T14:17:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Aparecida de Fatima Coelho Duarte.pdf: 1845707 bytes, checksum: 21290977dbf9fa224663eb0690018b96 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-05-04 / Fundação Ford / This thesis aim to know and understand the social, economic and cultural changes that occur in the way of life of rural Santa Rita s residents, with the arrived of the company Paracatu River Mining SA (RPM), in 1987, in Paracatu, State of Minas Gerais. Santa Rita are a traditional community, consisting of small producers who survive with the family agriculture, located below tailings dam of the firm. The RPM is controlled by transnational Canadian Kinross Gold Corporation, which runs its third expansion project at Paracatu. This project extends for more 30 years the expectation of exploitation of deposits and increases the production of gold from five to 15 tonnes per year. The environmental issue that has emerged from economic model of capitalist production is the axis of this theoretical work that follows an interdisciplinary view of the complexity issue. The reflections are done recovering the source of the environmental issue for science, the social and political milieu, contextualizing the mining company Rio Paracatu - RPM on the global and local scene. In this content, analyzes the changes that occur in the way of life of Santa Rita s residents with the implementation of RPM. The research was made by the participant observation, semi-structured interviews with dwellers and importants comunity persons, forms, documents studies, newspaper, books and Internet analises, seeking discover the environmental issues that occur locally and creating some prospective orientations / Esta dissertação traz como proposta conhecer e compreender as mudanças sociais, econômicas e culturais que ocorreram no modo de vida dos moradores da comunidade rural Santa Rita, com a implantação, desde 1987, da empresa Rio Paracatu Mineração S.A. (RPM), no município de Paracatu, em Minas Gerais. Santa Rita é uma comunidade tradicional, constituída por pequenos produtores que sobrevivem da agricultura familiar, localizada abaixo da barragem de rejeitos da empresa. A RPM é controlada pela transnacional canadense Kinross Gold Corporation, que executa seu terceiro projeto de expansão em Paracatu. Esse projeto amplia para mais 30 anos a expectativa de exploração das jazidas e eleva a produção de ouro de cinco para 15 toneladas por ano. A questão ambiental que emergiu do modelo econômico capitalista de produção é o eixo teórico desta dissertação que obedece a uma visão interdisciplinar pela complexidade do assunto. As reflexões são feitas resgatando-se a origem da questão ambiental para a ciência, o meio social e político, contextualizando a empresa Rio Paracatu Mineração RPM no cenário global e local. A partir desses conteúdos, analisa as mudanças que ocorrem no modo de vida dos moradores da comunidade Santa Rita com a implantação da RPM. A pesquisa é desenvolvida através da observação presencial, de entrevistas semiestruturadas com moradores e sujeitos representativos da comunidade, formulários, estudos de documentos, análise de jornais, livros e pesquisas na internet, buscando elucidar as questões ambientais que acontecem localmente e formulando algumas orientações prospectivas

It is well established that rural regional Australians have borne the brunt of globalization in terms of the adverse impacts caused by social and economic restructuring resulting from global, national and local forces. In response governments and communities have embraced sustainability and civil society for promoting local community action and responsibility for social, economic and environmental issues. This research focuses on community narratives about the social change processes as they engage the forces of neo-liberal policies. Applying a qualitative, grounded theoretical approach to data collection and analysis this study also adopts a multi-perspective, multi-disciplinary framework to gain more holistic, contextual understandings of community functioning and change. In echoing the principles of community psychology, the foundational, multidisciplinary concepts of sense of community, social capital, civil society, empowerment and conscientization have informed understandings of this communitys process and outcome towards transformational change. This study offers a critical reflection of transformational change in an effort to promote more peaceful, collaborate relationships between dominant and oppressed groups in expanding our understandings and solutions for community change. Identified by Newbrough (1992, 1995) as the Third Force Position, the ideals of political community are visibly expressed as they attempt to pursue transformational change towards a just and sustainable future for the community. However, while civil society has made a positive contribution, also apparent are the processes and outcomes which affect those most vulnerable. Those most powerless continue to suffer from exclusion, marginalization and as a result are denied access to vital resources to meet their needs.