As representações sociais nas festas de Padroeiros da Quarta Colônia/RS

Abstract

The study of social representations at the patron saints parties of the Quarta Colônia in the center of the state of Rio Grande do Sul shows that in the territorial perspective of development, cultural and identity dimensions are fundamental singularities for the social construction of the territory, which surpass subjective values reciprocal relations that do not always meet the market and tourist consumption. As part of the culture and identity of the territory, the social representations at the Quarta Colônia patron saints are manifest from the Roman Catholic Apostolic religious matrix which strengthens the identity bonds and stimulates social cohesion in the territory. Thus, this study has as main objective to analyze the social representations manifested in patron saint parties, trying to understand if and how they constitute identity and distinctive aspects in the process of social construction of the Quarta Colônia territory. Specifically, the objectives seek a) to identify which cultural elements present in the parties of patron saints are recognized by the participants before the festive moment and its religious matrix instituted over time in the territory; B) to investigate how the cultural elements present in patron saint parties are part of the senses that make up the social representations among the participants of the party; and, c) to interpret the social representations in the feasts of patron saints of the Quarta Colônia, evidencing how they constitute the cultural and identity dimension of the territory. Methodologically, the study identifies itself as a qualitative and interpretative research, characterized as a case study at the festivals of the patrons of São Roque, Nossa Senhora do Monte Bérico and Santos Anjos da Guarda. As a result, the social representations at the feast days of patron saints of the Quarta Colônia originate from the Roman Catholic Apostolic and also the territory's identity because, in the first place, there is a social force legitimized in the faith and devotion to the saints brought from Italy, Community involvement, festive tradition, and party food. These cultural elements recognized among the participants of the patron saint festivities form the contents of the set of meanings that make up the social representations of the feast days of patron saints of the Quarta Colônia. The social representations of the religious identity matrix of the territory show reciprocal values aimed at solidarity, mutual help, compassion, gratitude, submission to the teachings of Roman Catholicism, veneration of the saints, among other sentiments that are revealed, forming the Diacritical marks that demarcate the specificities of the Quarta Colônia, important resources to consider in the current territorial perspectives of development.