O discurso sociolingustico da fotografia : fotógrafo e fotografado construindo sentidos por meio da fotoetnotextografia na Ilha dos Marinheiros Pelotas

Abstract

This thesis aims at comprehending the production of meaning through photography as a way to recognize oneself and as a way to build a social discourse through the eye of the subject photographed, in a dialogue with the photographer. Thus, we don't look only into the researcher's registers but also into the perceptions of the subject, one who is author and actor of its own everyday life. We present a methodology named "Photoethnotextography", which comes from the recognition of the usage of photography in the description of social phenomena not only as an illustration, but as part of scientific knowledge, as important as the written text for academic research. Through photos, we believe it is possible to show, build and analyze discourse in scientific researches. Our theoretical background is based on the perception of the photographed image as a way to build identity for the occidental subject, based not only on the idea that photography indicates "truth", but also, that it offers ways to observe phenomena which are capable of forming knowledge and linguistic discourse. Following this part, we discuss the methodologies that use images in sociolinguistic narratives like ethnography and photoethnography and finally, present the thesis of Photoetnotextography. After this discussion, we apply the method for Ilha dos Marinheiros (Mariner's Island), an island in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. We chose this island because of its population characteristics: They still keep their traditions, which are little influenced by globalization around them in the continent. Thus, the study is able to reveal a culture that produces different meanings, centered on family, on the work of fishermen and farmers, in religion and the production of myths and legends that are passed on generation through generation. This way, the researched subjects build their perception of the world through photography and "conversations" (interviews) with the researcher. Together, the research and the researched subjects build the imagery description of this population, presenting theoretical basis and technicalities of the images. Through this double language, it was possible to understand how the population of the Mariner's Island recognize themselves through the photographic narratives of their social process. The implications of this work reveal that through photography, people find new ways to talk about themselves and to show their identities, producing new social meaning. We also perceived the importance of using text and images (with equal importance and equal weight) in the academic discourse, in order to build knowledge about cultures through Photoetnotextography. Finally, our results point to possible resignifications produced by the method, allowing the strength of the photography as social discourse in communication and research.