O corpo e as práticas corporais em praças públicas de Natal-RN

Abstract

When thinking about the body in movement, in the city, we may reflect on the limits of the body the world, and question how bodies intermingle depending on the ways and places in which we live, allowing us to observe the daily life of our surroundings and what we avoid seeing. This study aims to discuss the relationship between body practices and public squares and spaces of Natal-RN, in order to identify the use of the body in these spaces. Considering the scarcity of studies on this theme in our city, we point out the need to contribute to the production of knowledge, studying some aspects of the body in motion in everyday life and in public, where we seek to understand the behavior of the human body in different contexts and with different intentions. This study was designed based on the existential phenomenological approach of Merleau-Ponty (2011), in order to study experiences and understand them. We used the situated phenomenon model as a research strategy, which is directed to studying meanings, i.e., for exploring expressions regarding perceptions that the subject has of what is being researched. The group investigated was comprised of 20 subjects who attend public squares in Natal-RN, specifically the Pedro Velho Square and the Augusto Severo Square, located in the neighborhoods of Petropolis and Ribeira, respectively. The methodology utilized was composed of semistructured observations that were recorded in a portfolio, as well as photographic records. We sought to analyze documents that were available and that presented information on the squares researched and used questionnaires to interview the subjects investigated. This dissertation is divided into two chapters: the first chapter presents the relationship between the Body and the Space in the scenario of the Augusto Severo and Pedro Velho squares, where we describe the bodies that make up its spaces, in a dialog that seeks relate meanings and symbols marked by living in the city through the experiences of the subjects. The second Chapter will discuss the Body and Bodily Practices carried out in public squares, as quoted earlier. These practices were chosen for our studies, where we show particular characteristics of bodily practices immersed in urban space, and the subjects communicated their perceptions regarding motion in the public square. From the evidences analyzed we demonstrate several manners in which the body can move in the city studied especially in a public square, as reflected by the complexity observations of different scenes that are presented to us at each moment, Data show the different bodily attitudes that are present with diversified symbolism and intentions, which confirms our understanding of the human bodies as being biocultural and differing considerably according to their experiences.