Sociocultural micro-realities transformed by tourism in São Miguel do Gostoso, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

Abstract

Justified proposal of the theme:  The purpose of this article was to align theoretical and metodological perspectives of Micro-History  with the contribution of studies in the realm of Tourism, in order to understand transformations of micro-realities at São Miguel do Gostoso Municipality, in Rio Grande do Norte State. Micro-realities are histories of ordinary people that translate and clarify microscopic aspects of a complex life style.  Purpose:  analyse social cultural transformations of locality changed by the touristic phenomenon starting from local micro-realities. Design, methodology and approach: In the methodological  realm, we linked qualitative analysis to participating  direct observation, as well as documental analysis and investigation of audiovisual material on the town.  52 individuals were interviewed, among those who had a certain prominence in town history. They should not have any official position, but have experienced changes occurring between 1993 and 2016. This article approach  was of 17 interviewed persons. Results and originality: The research results highlight relevant  changes in the social cultural micro-realities of interviewees.  The most prominent impacts were: gradual voidance in cultural traditions , food habits and language.  On the other hand, positive contributions were  listed concerning plurality of cultures and social engagement.  We concluded that social cultural micro-realities were altered by the touristic flow, and thus defining tourism  as the region’s most important economical activity, and relocating work force. This study relevance and originality is the link between Micro-History and Tourism, almost nonexistent in scientific investigations.