Retratos da minha terra: pertencimento e memória no grupo do Facebook “Tapuio – Fotos e História”

Abstract

This is a study on the contribution of a group on the Facebook website – “Tapuio – Fotos e História” – to strengthening the identity and memorial of a rural location in the interior of Ceará. Tapuio, the location in question, is located in the mesoregion of Vale do Jaguaribe, in an area far from the surrounding urban centers, which favors an intense relationship between subjects and the environment, but also drives many migratory pro-cesses. The group was created to bring together people who still live in the place and those who have migrated. The research is carried out through historiography, netnogra-phy, qualitative and quantitative interviews and photographic reception activities. The theoretical contribution included readings on social identity, the relationship between photography and memory, coexistence with the rural environment, virtual communities and cultural studies, among others, through authors such as Boris Kossoy, Mílton Santos, Rogério Haesbaert, Stuart Hall, Susan Sontag and Y-Fu Thuan. Data analysis was carried out in accordance with the theory of environmental perception by geographer Y-Fu Thu-an and aimed to understand the relationships of belonging and memory mediated by the group. It was found that the group is an important vehicle for strengthening the identity of the place and that it also has good potential for mobilizing and mediating face-to-face interactions.