Social Representations of the Environment in the Pico da Ibituruna APA

Time and space have shown that the Pico da Ibituruna region has been undergoing a continuous process of disordered use of the environment. The practices of Off-Road Motorcycling (M/Off-road) and Mountain Biking (MTB) may be contributing to the de-characterization of the natural environment of Pico da Ibituruna, considering that their practitioners territorialize the environment by taking advantage of existing natural resources. The aim was to identify the social representations of the environment held by residents and non-residents who practise M/Off-Road and MTB at Pico da Ibituruna. We opted for the theoretical framework of social representations, with a qualitative-quantitative approach, identified as Collective Subject Discourse. We found that the subjects interviewed were unclear about the differences between the concepts of nature, environment, natural resources and environmental resources. The relationships of the subjects involved with the environment indicate that this is the backdrop for their bodily practices, which are marked by relationships of pure and simple consumption of natural resources.