Fronteira: uma análise rizomática do fenômeno fronteiriço

Abstract

This dissertation, entitled “Border: A Rhizomatic Analysis of the Border Phenomenon”, investigates the relationship between place and identity in the border region between Pedro Juan Caballero (Paraguay) and Ponta Porã (Brazil), questioning the notion that national identity is the sole determinant of individual identity. The study proposes that the unique characteristics of border regions foster the development of a distinct border identity, marked by the intersection and hybridization of cultures, histories, and experiences. The research adopts a rhizomatic approach, which allows for understanding the border as a space of multiplicities, contradictions, and non-hierarchical connections. Furthermore, it articulates concepts from Geography, Philosophy, and History, such as alterity, place, space, and biosocial border, to analyze the dynamics of welcoming and denying the Other. The methodology is multimodal, including literature review, on-site observation, qualitative interviews, and semi-structured questionnaires, applied between 2023 and 2025. The data reveal that, despite the negative stereotypes associated with the border (criminality, illegality), daily life is marked by practices of coexistence, exchange, and identity construction. It is concluded that, although the border is a stage for contradictions and denials, it is also a space of potential alterity, where the construction of a community based on mutual recognition and interculturality can be glimpsed. Education plays a crucial role in this process, functioning as a vector for social transformation and the overcoming of stereotypes. The research contributes to deconstructing superficial and negative views of the border, offering a complex and multifaceted analysis that values the everyday experiences and subjectivities of border subjects.