Lines of research

Line of Research: Production of space and natural dynamics

From the theoretical-methodological perspective, this line of research is presented as a structural axis of investigations supported by the integrated analysis of the social and natural dynamics. It analyses the socio-natural transformations mediated by the social dynamics in nature in different scale perspectives, taking into account the interactions with human activities, the development of different production technologies, the representations and the modes of use and appropriation of nature expressed in urban and rural spaces. Based on that, it discusses the impacts triggered by transformations of the natural dynamics in society itself.

The proposed line opens ways of research that seek to understand the natural dynamics in different perspectives of space and time, as well as its modes of cultural, economic and political appropriation, seeking to progress in the building of theoretical-methodological references to understand the dynamics of landscapes. The research with a focus on techniques and technologies for representing the geographic phenomena is included, taking into account the production of thematic maps using geotechnology.

From the recognition of interactions between the natural and social systems during the research, alternatives will be sought for the issues diagnosed, as well as grants for planning and environmental management, public policies and sustainability. These approaches and the themes related also give rise to studies in connection with the perspectives of geographical education, covering the professor training and didactic-pedagogical processes of teaching/learning Geography.

Seven professors work in this line of research:

Line of Research: Production of urban-regional space

In this line of research, a set of themes are inserted covering the production of urban and rural spaces, its interconnections in multiple geographic scales in the context of contemporary capitalist development. It covers different processes, such as multiple ways of reproducing the social life – in the sphere of economy, business relationships, daily life, and culture – that result in different ways of producing the space in its urban features, cover and exceed the municipal and rural limits of the transformations in the countryside. It covers the analysis of the action of social agents in the political, economic and cultural scope for the socio-spatial production of the city, urban and urbanisation, recognising the features with the rural space and without disregarding its own dynamics. In this line, it is included the research aimed to analyse – including the techniques and technologies of representation – differentiation and socio-spatial inequalities, their processes resulting therefrom, and public policies in urban, rural and regional spaces. In connection with production themes of the regional and urban space, it suggests research related to geographical education covering the didactic-pedagogical process of teaching/learning Geography and professor training.

Eight professors work in this line of research: