A produção do turismo em Diamantina: uma abordagem com base nas redes sociotécnicas

Abstract

Tourism is a complex phenomenon that produces multidimensional effects in space, never identical, which makes its analysis and interpretation difficult. In recent years some studies have emphasized the relational nature of space in the analysis of Tourism in order to understand its multiple mobilities and the different types of networks that propagate in different types of spatiality. In this view the territorial and spatial planning of tourism is conceived as the result of the interweaving of networks composed of hybrid entities, human and non-human, that produce effects that can be traced, analyzed and interpreted, based on the Actor-network Theory. In this sense, this research is a proposal of descriptions of complex processes of production of relationships and associations between the elements of the sociotechnical networks of tourism in Diamantina, a historical colonial town in Brazil. It describes the ordering patterns and consequent temporary interrelationship of material and immaterial elements. The study analyzes networks composed of associated elements that mobilize and demobilize to achieve the objectives established in touristic marketing plan. The general objective of this study is to describe the processes of production of relationships and associations among heterogeneous elements that characterize a geographic analysis performed through the revelation of the main characteristics of its ordering patterns. The methodological design is characterized as a sociomaterial description that uses documentary analysis techniques, participant observation and in-depth interviews, with the purpose of reaching the proposed objectives. For the networks analytical procedures, a network analysis and visualization software package (Gephi) was used and two situational maps of the orderings of the sociotechnical networks analyzed were elaborated. The results made it possible to understand aspects of the networks of relations between tourist objects and their influence on Tourism production in the Municipality. It was concluded that the ANT, through the concept of sociotechnical network offers an important tool of geographic analysis of the tourism phenomenon, and is on course to become, possibly, a new paradigm of the Tourism studies.