Social Representations of Environmental Problems and Solutions in Rural Contexts: Comparative Evidence from Three Independent Cohorts

Resumo

Environmental problems today represent a growing challenge with profound impacts on rural communities, biodiversity, and traditional livelihoods. In response, local solutions emerge that seek to mitigate or adapt to ecological consequences, which vary over time. The objective of this study was to analyze the social representations of environmental problems and solutions, examining their temporal evolution across three cohorts within a sample of rural population. Methodologically, an exploratory approach to social representations was adopted, using a mixed-method strategy with a repeated cross-sectional trend design. Trends were examined among 169 rural participants corresponding to the years 2019, 2020, and 2022, using non-probabilistic convenience sampling through a questionnaire. Additionally, a co-occurrence analysis of codes for open-ended questions regarding environmental problems was used to enhance understanding of the representations. As for the results, the significant and stable problem identified was climate change, understood as a highly abstract issue that is difficult to address. On the other hand, among the solutions, environmental education predominated, showing statistically significant growth in its relevance. In contrast, the absence of changes in rural lifestyles—such as reducing meat consumption or ceasing the use of firewood for heating—reveals difficulties in modifying rural ways of living. In conclusion, the study underscores the need to strengthen environmental education in rural areas, both in formal and non-formal contexts, and to deepen the understanding of climate change at the rural level, considering practical and applied approaches.