Urban-rural connections and development perspectives in Portugal

Portugal is characterized by a significant asymmetry in the population distribution/density and economic activity as well as in social and cultural dynamics. This means very diverse landscapes, differences in regional development, sustainability and quality of life, mainly between urban and rural areas. A consequence coherent with the contemporary dynamics: urbanization of many rural areas that loose their productive-agricultural identity and, simultaneously, the reintegration in urban areas of spaces and activities with more rural characteristics. In this process of increasing complexity of organization of the landscape is essential to restore the continuum naturale (between urban and rural areas) allowing closer links to both ways of life. A strategy supported in the landscape, which plays important functions for public interest, in the cultural, social, ecological and environmental fields. At the same time, constitutes an important resource for economic activity, as underlined in the European Landscape Convention. Based on this assumption, and using a multi-method approach, the study aims to analyse a) the links between urban and rural areas in Portugal and b) the reasons why these territories are chosen by individuals as places of work and mobility, residence or evasion, culture and leisure, tranquillity or excitement – meaning overall well-being. Primary information was obtained by a questionnaire survey applied to a convenience sample of the Portuguese population. Secondary data and information will be collected on the official Portuguese Statistics (INE and PORDATA). Understanding the urban-rural links is essential to support policy measures, take advantage from the global changes and challenge many of the existing myths.

Uma interpretação da participação a partir da sistematização de experiência

A presente dissertação de mestrado relata sobre os resultados de uma sistematização de experiências, que foi realizada para ser o meu trabalho final de conclusão do X Curso de Mestrado em Sociologia (2005/2006) da Universidade de Évora em Portugal. A sistematização de experiências é uma ferramenta metodológica, que auxilia promotores e educadores populares para aperfeiçoarem e melhorarem a prática dos trabalhos de campo na execução de processos de desenvolvimento comunitário. Particularmente, neste trabalho, o eixo de sistematização, que adotamos foi para fazer uma interpretação da participação em um caso experimental da Metodologia da Capacitação Massiva - MCM, que é um método de formação de atores sociais para a gestão e produção coletiva. ABSTRACT; The present master degree dissertation describes the results of a systematization of experiences, that was prepared and presented as my final work in the conclusion of the X Master Degree Course in Sociology (2005/2006) of the University of Évora, in Portugal. The systematization of experiences is a methodological tool, which assists popular facilitators and educators to improve their fieldwork practices during the execution of processes of community development. For the preparation of this thesis, in particular, we adopted a systematization axis in order to make an interpretation of community participation in an experimental case of the so-called Massive Qualification Methodology- MCM. That it is a method of formation of social actors for the management and collective production.