As representações sociais de lixo dos educandos do Colégio Agrícola de Camboriú-CAC/SC

Abstract

This investigation was motivated by the practice of throwing away litter in the open air. In particular by those being educated in the school environment. In this sense, we are trying to work out what the CAC student body's (i) conception of litter is, (ii) their attitude towards litter and (iii) their commitment as citizens regarding environmental issues arising from the inadequate disposal of litter, the object under investigation. In order to better understand student posture towards this litter - individual interaction, we aim to identify any social representations in student littering at 'Colégio Agrícola de Camboriú'. We are also investigating if Environmental Education, taught as a school subject, contributes, or could contribute, to form or modify such representations. The target public was the first and third year students on technical courses in Agriculture and Livestock, also IT, both concomitant with High School. Discourse analysis based on the Moscovici perspective was used to identify social representations of student littering. By means of participant observation and the application of a questionnaire, (i) the conception of student littering on entering the first year as well as (ii) the conception of littering when reaching the third year, were investigated. The aim of this analysis was to identify any modification, reelaboration, and rereading of the social representation of student littering by those on the above mentioned courses. Our results recognise Environmental Education as an interdisciplinary theme capable of aiding and leading to the construction of a more solidary society, to citizens who are more committed and socially responsible, and concerned about the complexity of the phenomenon of consumption in the contemporary world.