Traditional knowledge: ethnobotany of women in the gardens of San José de Rincón, Puebla, Mexico.
About the program:
The present research project identifies the practices and knowledge that women have in the family gardens of San José de Rincón Puebla, Mexico. These practices and knowledge are traditional ecological knowledge that has been developed through long periods of time and interaction between the human being and the natural environment and the way they are kept alive through oral transmission in a generational way. The participation of women in rural areas is fundamental as an active part of the preservation, maintenance of diversity, both of natural resources, and of the care and attention of the family nucleus of rural areas.
Abstract
Different tools and perspectives have addressed the study of the interactions of society with nature; ethnobotany analysis studies the relationship between human groups with their plant environment interaction, and through ethnographic tools are identified the uses of plants in different cultural spaces over time.
This article describes a research work was based on current Cultural-Ecological Anthropology thought he ethno botanical analysis, it aims to identify the traditional knowledge and cultural practices that women have within the space of their gardens in relation to the use of plant resources, plants and trees that serve to improve the food and health-disease processes. As well as answering the question about what to extent, do these practices represent resilient elements in the face of the socio-ecological vulnerability problem, understood as food security crisis and health-disease problems in rural areas in the State of Puebla?
We start from the analysis of the orchards family as they are considered a typical place in rural houses for plants and animals development that satisfy some type of need within the family group, food as example, contribution to the family economy and internal family practices that seek to preserve the culture in a generational way [ CITATION Pér05 \l 2058 ].
The fieldwork lasted two and a half months, it was carried out in seven family gardens in the town of San José de Rincón Puebla, Mexico, locality with 929 inhabitants, of whom 51% are men, 49% are women, and the population mainly speaks Spanish and Náhuatl. Qualitative analysis methods were using such as life histories, in-depth interviews, elaboration of ethnographic text, participant observation and photographic record. It was possible to identify the relationship between rural women and plant resources as well as ecological traditional knowledge associated with feeding processes and health-disease treatments. The results obtained allowed us to identify 89 unique plant species used for: food, healing or health processes, ornamental and shade. From the total recognized, 34 are used for food (46% of plants and 54% of trees) and 14 for medicinal purposes (64% of plants and 36% of trees), within the latter, it is observed through infusions, ointments and cleansing body rituals.
Keywords:
Traditional ecological knowledge, socio ecological resilience, ethnobotany, rural women, food security and health-disease process.
Goal:
Identify the traditional knowledge that women have within the space of the gardens in relation to the use and use of plant resources, which serve to improve feeding processes and health-disease treatments in the family nucleus.
Methodology
Qualitative analysis methods and ethnographic fieldwork. Specific tools for data collection: life stories and in-depth interviews: to understand from this analysis the experiences, the daily practices and the traditional knowledge that women have with the space of the garden. Elaboration of ethnographic text: Under the participant observation and photographic record, to understand through the analysis of this material the interactions of women within the orchards and. State of the Art: Through the review and collection of bibliographic information referring to the experiences and interactions of women in the gardens, from a local perspective -global.
Results
The results obtained allowed us to identify a total of a total of 89 plant species used for food, healing or health, ornamental and shade processes.
The woman is recognized as the most important subject involved in the activities within the garden. They are permanently related to the care of the plants through daily practice and perform this activity because it allows them to have medicinal plants that serve to cure ills, such as stomach pain, headache, colds and various discomfort that the population commonly suffers.
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