IN CROSSROADS TERRITORY: iconographies, circulationandreassuranceofregional centers in Mossoró-RN andSobral-CE
Crossroads -Iconography - Mossoró - Sobral - Regional Center
The presentthesisisbased in threedifferentdimensionsofcontemporarygeography, that help ustounderstandthegeographicspace, territory, theplaces, thecities, startingfromthenotionsof: iconographyandcirculation, verticalitiesandhorizontalities, geographicsituation (site andsituation), justlike out notionsofcrossroadsor carrefours. Thesedimensionsofgeographicstudies are respectivelyrooted in textsby Jean Gottman, Milton Santos and Maria Laura Silveira. The main point ofourresearch inquires abouttherelationshipexistingbetweentheconditionof regional center takenby Mossoró and Sobral in the regional urbancontext in whichthey are insertedandtheprocessofcirculationandvaluationof local/regional iconography; ofhorizontalitiesandverticalitiesphenomenaandofthegeographicsituationofthecrossroad, and it aimstoexplainthespacialdifferentiation, utilizingthemethodicstudyoficonographies, circulation, horizontalitiesandverticalitiesand in thegeographicsituationofcrossroad as cornerstonesofthebuildingprocessof big regional centers such as Sobral and Mossoró thatdifferfromtheirsurroundings, nearandfar. Methodologywise, weutilizedananalyticveilthatismeanttobefullofcriticismand, byourjudgement, must bethe usual in anyworkwith a geographicandhumanistic profile, taking in consideration some importantassumptions, thatbeing: socio-spatialstructures in therelationbetweenthepartsandthewhole; the processes such as past, presentandproapectmaterialitiesoftheevents; theforms, as portraitsof reality, formingeachspatialarrangements; andfinally, the processes as thethingsoractivitiesthatformthe links betweenurbanizationandspatialdifferentiations. Wemadethechoice for thetypesofresearchthatpresentthefollowingtabulations: Concerningtheobject - primarilyscientific, per styleof approach - qualitativeconcerningthegoals - descriptiveandexplanatory. The choiceisjustifiedbythefactthatthey are in perfectaccordancewiththe social sciences, justlikegeography, andbyoffering more scopetotheinvestigation. However, thischoice does notmakethequantificationimpossible. It isnotabout a qual-quantitativeoption, becausetheemphasisthatdoesn'trenouncethequantity, isnotableonthequality. As such, weanchorouroption in thisinvestigative framework and its nuances. Abouttheoperationalizationofthepreviouslyanalyzedanddescribedformsofresearch, tothemwewill link thefollowingtechnical procedures: bibliographicalresearching, documentaryresearchingandfieldstudyresearching. The groupofanalysisweproposedtowillobey a view in whichwecaneasily monitor the abstract-formal elements( keydimensions for thisresearch) accordingwiththeempirical-concrete (uses oftheterritory - the role ofthird sector - regional center conditions - urban dynamics, amongothers). Allthisinvestigativeprocesswillbeputintopractice in thecitiesof Mossoró and Sobral, bythe point ofviewof material value(objects) andalsobytheexistentialvalue(actions).