Abstract

HUSAIN-TALERO, Soraya. Ethnic-Botanical Knowledge Transmission in a Rural Community in the Colombian Andes. Rev. colomb. educ. [online]. 2021, n.83, e201.  Epub Aug 06, 2022. ISSN 0120-3916.  https://doi.org/10.17227/rce.num83-11144.

This article analyses the transmission of ethnic-botanical knowledge in child and youth peasants in the Colombian Andean region. Knowledge transmission is understood as a cultural and educational process that is based on active contents in diverse social settings, including family and school. Therefore, through an ethnographic methodology which included participant observation, open and semi-structured interviews and workshops with children and youth, the article analyses knowledge transmission in terms of content (recognition of properties and use) and the context in which it takes place, its value implications and its relation to gender roles. Results showed that ethnobotanical knowledge is effectively transmitted when there is a clear and suitable way of exposing the ideas, a certain degree of motivation and the mental ability to understand the ideas/experience. It is concluded that ethnic-botanical knowledge transmission is dynamic and mediated by culturally established gender roles. Boys and girls demonstrated a strong connection with nature, despite the fact that girls have greater ethnic-botanical knowledge and boys develop skills for commercialization. There seems to be a loss of knowledge in the youth population that is hardly interested in rural activities. These findings are relevant since they allow us to question the models of current knowledge transmission, together with the opportunities that future generations will have within the new rurality.

Keywords : knowledge transmission; ethno botany; education; Andes; Colombia.

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