This study is inserted in the context of Environmental Psychology to investigate the resistance of residents in the communities of Santa Cruz and Esperança (Içara/SC) to the opening of a coal mining. A study of case using semi-structured interviews as methodology was realized, with six persons in two families, comprising three generations. We sought to understand the psychosocial and environmental meanings that the farmers attribute to the possible threats of mining activities in the place. They suggest that resisting the mining company in these communities means preserving their place and cultural identity. The subjects showed identification with the community and the work they do. Family farming stands as a link that connects the generations, influencing the construction of social identity and allows us to understand their sense of belonging, as well as the fight to preserve it.
Environmental psychology; mining; social identity; resistance.