SOUSA, Patrícia Ferreira Paiva de. Representações de sustentabilidade de agentes políticos de Araguaína – TO - à luz do desenvolvimento sustentável

Abstract

This research aims to understand and analyze the representations of sustainability by the political agents of the City Council of Araguaína – TO (their production through legislative bills and laws). In terms of municipal public management, a panorama is presented regarding the current situation and official records/documents of the city. Located in the Legal Amazon, Araguaína holds the position of the economic capital of the state of Tocantins and demonstrates remarkable development. The introduction brings forth discourses and interactions on sustainability, guiding the reader to consider Brazilian legislation and all the measures and elements that steer the country towards sustainability. The concept of sustainable cities is addressed, as well as how the municipality fits into this discussion, along with the municipal challenges related to the need for sustainable development and political relations. In conclusion, the concepts and presentations of discourse formation close this first chapter. The methodology was directed towards characterizing the research universe and its materials, where the corpus was obtained and the analysis method developed. The results, with data already analyzed, show that most interactions from key-word excerpts involved society’s needs; financial needs for the implementation of measures in the present, with future benefits; zoning and/or local organization referred to environmental aspects but did not provide significant visibility. Therefore, according to official records, for decision-making purposes, sustainable development is achieved through social and economic improvements, without a true focus on the environment or the geographic space in a broader sense. Such a stance may indicate fragility on the part of the actors. It is worth highlighting the discourse that inhibits synergistic movements within internal and external contexts. Coupled with philosophical discussions, and as is no secret, Araguaína – TO has been an influential city since its inception, and the municipalities surrounding it regard it as a reference.