Sociología-Pregrado

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://dspace-test.ucuenca.edu.ec/handle/123456789/29910

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 262

Análisis de las brechas de cuidado desde una perspectiva de género en el contexto de diversidad étnica y movilidad humana en el Cantón Cañar durante el año 2025
(Universidad de Cuenca. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, 2026-03-30) Bermeo Illares, María de los Angeles; Brito Guerrero, Juliana Deyanira; Zhimnay Valverde, Cristian Fabián
In the Cañar canton, social transformations stemming from international migration and the persistence of traditional gender roles have generated significant care gaps. These gaps primarily affect women, but also impact men and entire communities, especially in rural and indigenous contexts. In this context, a sociological reflection on the co-responsibility of care and the formulation of more equitable and intercultural public policies was undertaken. Given that ethnic diversity, along with human mobility, creates a complex scenario where care dynamics are constantly reorganized, revealing structural inequalities, this study aims to analyze care from a gender perspective, considering ethnic diversity and human mobility in the Cañar canton. A mixed-methods approach is proposed, integrating the analysis of secondary sources, such as data from institutional portals, from a quantitative perspective, and the application of semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, as well as community observation, thus deepening the qualitative perspective. The results established that it is essential to design programs and solutions to reduce care gaps, focusing on recognition and appreciation, giving care the same importance as other areas or sectors through equitable standards and budgets; in addition, it is crucial to implement comprehensive care systems through public policies that distribute the care burden equally for all.
Análisis del impacto social del desarrollo de competencias en economías alternativas (economía circular) en emprendedores en situación de movilidad humana en la ciudad de Cuenca en el año 2023
(Universidad de Cuenca. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, 2026-03-30) Guzmán Morillo, Matías Sebastián; Sucozhañay Calle, Dolores Catalina
The circular economy has emerged as a crucial model for addressing environmental and socioeconomic challenges by promoting resource efficiency, sustainability, business model changes, and job creation. However, its impact on vulnerable communities has been little explored. In this context, the present study analyzes the social impact of "Competence development in circular economy and advisory services for entrepreneurs in the development of proposals with a circular approach in their businesses" on entrepreneurs in situations of human mobility in Cuenca, Ecuador, with a special focus on the social impact generated by the application of the circular economy model on entrepreneurs. To achieve this objective, a case study is employed. Information will be collected using detailed surveys and semi- structured interviews with a universe of actors who participated in the project. Furthermore, to complement the information, relevant secondary sources for the case study will be reviewed. The findings will be systematized and analyzed through thematic and critical analysis, while social life cycle assessment is used to identify social impacts. The results of this research are expected to provide valuable information on the social impacts of circular economy competence development in entrepreneurs in situations of human mobility, understanding the influence on the social inclusion of this population and identifying the factors that facilitate or hinder the adoption of circular economy practices.
Gestión y uso del agua para consumo humano en tiempos de cambio climático en la comunidad de Zumbahuayco 2020-2025
(Universidad de Cuenca. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, 2026-03-27) Jiménez Argudo, Daniela Alexandra; Zumba Auqui, Jennifer Mishell; Astudillo Benalcázar, José Efraín
This degree project focuses on the analysis of water management and use in the face of the effects of climate change in the community of Zumbahuayco during the 2020-2025 period. Within a context of global environmental transformations, rural communities in the Ecuadorian region face significant challenges related to water availability and management, affecting daily life and productive sustainability. To understand how this locality has responded to climatic alterations, a qualitative approach based on a case study was chosen. This was conducted through techniques such as semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and participant observation, complemented by a documentary review. The study was structured around a socio-environmental diagnosis to identify the vulnerability of water resources and the direct impacts on the daily lives of the rural population. Furthermore, it examined the adaptation strategies implemented by local actors in response to climate variability. The findings demonstrate that water management in this territory transcends technical aspects to become an exercise in community resistance. Faced with a lack of effective protection policies by the State and growing gaps of climate injustice that pressure water resources, the community's response lies in the strengthening of the social fabric, private initiatives, and collective management. These elements operate as the primary defense against water insecurity in the rural landscape.
Organización del Trabajo y Dinámica Socio Organizativa del Sector de Taxis del Cantón Cuenca que operan con Azu-Taxi, entre el 2015 y 2025
(Universidad de Cuenca. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, 2026-03-24) Jarama Angamarca, María José; Tómmerbakk, Elisabeth Marta
This study examines how the introduction of the Azu-Taxi platform has transformed the dynamics of taxi transport services in the city of Cuenca since 2016. The objective is to understand how this tool has modified the work organization and socio-organizational dynamics of taxi drivers in the period from 2015 to 2025. The study is supported by a theoretical framework that articulates the sociology of work and organizational sociology from a Science, Technology and Society (STS) perspective. From this viewpoint, organization is analyzed not as a static structure, but as an ordering process (organizing) and a sociomaterial assemblage where technology acts as an agent that prescribes behaviors and power relations. Methodologically, a qualitative approach with a phenomenological design is used, exploring the experiences of taxi drivers and one of the platform's designers through semi structured interviews. Sampling was intentional, reinforced by snowball sampling to capture diverse perspectives, and the data were processed using thematic analysis. The results reveal how the platform functions as a "shield" against external competition, while simultaneously introducing new forms of algorithmic control and generational tensions. Finally, the study contributes knowledge about new forms of work organization and tactics of resistance in a technology-mediated local context.
Dimensiones de la sostenibilidad organizativa y ambiental en la Junta de Riego Minas – Ludo, Sígsig. Un estudio desde la investigación – acción participativa
(Universidad de Cuenca. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, 2026-03-25) Jadán Avilés, Ivanna Karina; Capelo Ayala, Delfa Humbertina
Irrigation, far from being a purely technical activity studied only by the natural sciences, is a construct influenced by social, organizational, environmental, and other factors. The main objective of this research was to analyze how socio-organizational and environmental dimensions apply to the organizational sustainability of the Minas-Ludo Irrigation Board located in the parish of Ludo, in the canton of Sígsig, with the aim of working with the board to build processes to strengthen its sustainability over time. Here, Participatory Action Research (PAR) not only served as the design for data collection, but also as a process that allowed for a connection with the community to deeply understand everything that water management for irrigation has entailed. Likewise, the nature of the PIA made it possible for the knowledge produced to be collaborative, without seeking to impose pre-established ideas, as each contribution was valued for the results. The information obtained provided answers to the objectives set, with interesting findings regarding the evolution of water management, how social and environmental issues are inseparable, and what elements need to be taken into account in order to build a participatory management model. This research is only the first step toward understanding how the phenomenon of irrigation should be studied if the goal is to truly transform the situation of those who rely on it as their main source of income.
Transformaciones en el uso social del espacio público en el Centro Histórico de Cuenca: Perspectivas desde la gentrificación y otros procesos de cambio en el entorno del Parque Calderón
(Universidad de Cuenca. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, 2026-03-25) Valdivieso Abad, Pedro Emilio; Sagbay Montesdeoca, María Emilia; Van Muijen, Boaz Lionel
The urban space in Latin America has gone through changes in the last few decades because of massive urbanization projects and economic growth, which have directly influenced the use of public space. With this in mind, the city of Cuenca, particularly its Historic Center, has not been immune to these changes, due to it being subjected to multiple public and private interventions focused on the conservation of its heritage, the growth of tourism, and economic revitalization, creating tensions in the way the inhabitants perceive, use, and appropriate public space. This investigation has the objective of analyzing the transformations of society’s use of the public space in the Historic Center of Cuenca in the last years, considering urban changes such as growth, gentrification, and the integration of tourism in society. The investigation will be centered in Parque Calderon (Calderon Park) and its immediate vicinity and will be studied with a qualitative methodology and a narrative focus, using techniques such as interviews towards urban development experts and observation of the public space. The results will allow for the identification of emerging patterns in society’s use of this public space, as well as the different forms of appropriation and feelings of belonging of the societal groups that interact with said space. In this way, the investigation will help in comprehending the relationship between space and society from a sociological perspective and will offer useful information that can be used as a foundation for future interventions that will answer the necessities of the population.
Análisis de los factores socioculturales y naturales que influyeron en la experiencia de la soledad en adultos mayores, pertenecientes al Centro de Atención al Adulto Mayor del IESS-Cuenca, periodo 2023-2025
(Universidad de Cuenca. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, 2026-03-23) Villazhañay López, Sandra Karina; Paño Yáñez, Pablo José
The World Health Organization has identified loneliness as a public health issue that significantly affects the lived experiences of older adults. In response to this reality, initiatives such as nature- based social prescribing have emerged. One example is the RECETAS project, which implemented this approach to improve the emotional well-being of participants. Therefore, this research analyzes this intervention to understand which determinants, beyond individual factors, influence the experience of the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (IESS) in Cuenca who participated in the project between 2023 and 2025. This study adopts a comprehensive approach, recognizing that loneliness is shaped by family dynamics, gender norms and care responsibilities, as well as the influence of religion. The analysis was based on interviews conducted within the RECETAS project, field diaries, and participant observation, which allowed for an in-depth understanding of the participants’ experiences. The findings indicate that natural environment acts as a key mediator for well-being and coping with loneliness. However, this experience is shaped by social structures: religion and family may provide emotional support, but they can also contribute to isolation depending on imposed caregiving roles. These findings contribute to the sociology of aging and highlight the need to design public policies that address loneliness from a community-based and structural perspective.
“La integración de la inteligencia artificial en las políticas institucionales de educación superior: Un estudio de caso en las principales universidades de Cuenca”
(Universidad de Cuenca. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, 2026-03-17) Benenaula Cajamarca, José Francisco; Faicán Cabrera, Molly Nicole; Martínez Rodríguez, Luis Emilio
This research analyzes the integration of artificial intelligence into institutional policies of higher education as a way of reconfiguring professional education.The study focuses on how the University of Cuenca, the University of Azuay, the Catholic University of Cuenca, and the Salesian Polytechnic University have activated a “bureaucratic reflex” aimed at managing technological uncertainty through an intensification of normative production. In contrast to traditional sociological perspectives, which conceive policies, regulations, and strategic plans as passive containers of information, this research adopts a post-humanist sociotechnical approach grounded in Actor-Network Theory (ANT) and the methodological model proposed by Lindsay Prior (2003). From this perspective, institutional documents are understood as social actors with performative agency, rather than inert texts that merely sustain the bureaucratic apparatus; instead, they operate as dispositifs of power that create and sustain particular university realities. This issue is crucial because such documentary agency remains largely invisible in studies of university governance, limiting our understanding of how texts not only regulate but also actively constitute realities, as well as heterogeneous networks and groups composed of human and semi-human actors present in the academic landscape. Methodologically, the research employs a qualitative design structured around Prior’s three “cornerstones”: Manufacture, which examines the political and technical processes of document production; Consumption, which analyzes the circulation and practical use of texts; and Content, approached as an inscription that establishes regimes of truth and closes controversies under an appearance of administrative neutrality.
Políticas urbanas y su impacto social en los procesos de gentrificación del centro histórico de la ciudad de Cuenca en el período 2020-2024
(Universidad de Cuenca. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, 2026-03-23) Calle Curipoma, Diana Christina; Capelo Ayala, Delfa Humbertina
Gentrification is defined as a process that produces transformations in the economic and social composition of a territory. In the case of Cuenca’s Historic Center, urban policies aimed at the conservation of built heritage, the regeneration of public space, and the regulation of land use have, over time, contributed to the configuration of gentrification processes and to changes in social composition. In this context, the present research seeks to identify and assess the social impacts of urban policies on the process of gentrification in Cuenca’s Historic Center during the period 2020–2024, based on the experiences of its residents. This study adopts a qualitative methodological approach, with an exploratory and descriptive case study design. Data were collected through non-participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and secondary documents. The findings show that urban renewal public policies have generated transformations in land use and in the social composition of Cuenca’s Historic Center, modifying everyday dynamics and the perceptions of long-term residents, who identify processes of exclusion and the weakening of historically rooted social practices.
Turismo, Tensiones Organizativas y Cohesión Social en la Asociación Comunitaria de Chobshi
(Universidad de Cuenca. Facultad de Filosofía, Letras y Ciencias de la Educación, 2026-03-23) Delgado Vera, Karen Adriana; Capelo Ayala, Delfa Humbertina
This study aims to identify the organizational tensions within the Chobshi Community Association and their impact on organizational sustainability and social cohesion. Based on the findings, it proposes strategic guidelines to strengthen its community-based tourism management model. The methodology adopted a qualitative approach with a single-case study design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 11 key stakeholders (active and inactive members, and guides) and non-participant observation recorded in field notes. The information was processed through thematic analysis using ATLAS.ti software. The results reveal a structural "survival state" fueled by cycles of paralysis and emotional exhaustion. Critical tensions were identified, such as unequal participation (only 36% of members are active), concentrated leadership, operational overload, and mistrust due to administrative opacity. Competition from better-paying external jobs and low visitor numbers generate disengagement that deteriorates service quality. It is concluded that sustainability and social cohesion are fractured by a "collective memory of failure." The organization's viability depends on renegotiating the partnership agreement, professionalizing roles, and establishing mechanisms for radical transparency (such as digital records and oversight). Implementing an equitable distribution of benefits is imperative to transform the current inertia into a sustainable and cohesive project.
Más allá del aula: acceso, participación e impactos de las actividades extracurriculares, en jóvenes de 20 a 24 años de la Universidad de Cuenca (2025)
(Universidad de Cuenca. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, 2026-03-10) Cabrera Villalta, Erika Pamela; Sucozhañay Calle, Dolores Catalina
This research focuses on analyzing how access to extracurricular activities occurs during adolescence and how these activities influence the life trajectories of those who have participated in them, as well as those who have not. To this end, approaches to youth and life trajectories are articulated with Bourdieu's theory of habitus and forms of capital. To this end, the analysis was developed based on the experiences of young people aged 20 to 24 at the University of Cuenca. A qualitative approach was used, with a narrative design and a life story method, applied to 16 participants through semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The results show that access to extracurricular activities is determined by a network of factors external to the adolescent. The findings also highlight that participating in these activities promotes the incorporation of dispositions, which translate into the development of various skills and abilities, compared to those who were unable to access them. Finally, differentiated trajectories are identified, where the trajectories of those who did participate in extracurricular activities show an accumulation of dispositions that facilitated their transition to university life. In comparison, the trajectories of those who did not gain access are characterized by feelings of backwardness, which in turn influence young people's agency through their search to compensate for these losses.
Tecnología y educación; el papel de la Inteligencia Artificial en el proceso educativo de los alumnos de la Universidad de Cuenca
(Universidad de Cuenca. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, 2026-01-23) Vintimilla Machuca, Xavier Israel; Tómmerbakk Sorensen, Elisabeth Marta
La percepción de inseguridad en el uso del transporte público en las estudiantes de la Universidad de Cuenca en el año 2024
(Universidad de Cuenca. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, 2025-10-31) Bermeo Andrade, Heydi Anai; Ochoa Amores, Paula Nohelia; Falconí Abad, María Monserrath
The perception of insecurity in public transportation is a social issue that disproportionately affects women, who face risks of violence in this setting. For this reason, it is crucial to understand how the student community of the University of Cuenca experiences and perceives this insecurity, considering their gender and the associated power dynamics. This study analyzes how female students at the University of Cuenca experienced and perceived insecurity in public transportation during 2024 from a gender perspective. A phenomenological method and a mixed design combining qualitative and quantitative techniques were used. Surveys were administered to 368 female students to collect quantitative data, while the qualitative component included five semi-structured interviews with users selected from different campuses and six observations at busy bus stops. The results indicate a concerning level of perceived insecurity in the use of public transportation, attributed to structural and cultural factors such as harassment and the lack of lighting and surveillance at bus stops during nighttime. These conditions negatively affect the emotional well-being of female students and limit their mobility. Such circumstances lead to adjustments in their schedules and reduced access to academic and extracurricular activities, reinforcing a persistent sense of vulnerability. Strategies employed by female students to mitigate perceived insecurity include traveling in groups, sharing their location through technology, or carrying self-defense tools that may be useful in certain situations. However, these measures are reactive responses and not definitive solutions.
Estrategias socio organizacionales y de comercialización que inciden en la sostenibilidad de organizaciones productoras de leche en la parroquia Jima
(Universidad de Cuenca. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, 2025-10-21) Zhunio Suqui, Diana Belén; Capelo Ayala, Delfa Humbertina
This study presents the importance of the socio-organizational and marketing strategies of the livestock organizations of the Jima parish, considering that they are fundamental actors in the value chain of dairy production, facing influences of social and organizational variables that affect the incidence of their sustainability, justifying itself from a sociological approach, framed in a line of socio-economic analysis, contributing to scientific knowledge in a field where there are few studies from the social area. This study adopts a mixed approach, starting from the quali-participatory, focused mainly on the qualitative part, considering the quantitative as complementary. It is a descriptive case study design. Data collection was carried out through focus group and survey techniques, directed to active producers of milk production and marketing organizations. Sampling for the focus group was done randomly considering 6 representatives of the collection centers and a representative of the Gad Parroquial Jima; The results are presented by objectives with the use of Sankey diagram and SWOT analysis, considering that this research seeks to identify the socio-organizational and marketing strategies of the milk producing organizations, similarities and differences of strategies based on the literature with strategies of this study, in addition to strategic proposals for milk producing organizations that are part of this study.
Factores y características de la deserción en estudiantes de la carrera de Sociología de la Universidad de Cuenca en el periodo 2022-2023
(Universidad de Cuenca. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, 2025-10-22) Carchipulla Mora, Lisseth Silvana; Capelo Ayala, Delfa Humbertina
The objective of this study is to analyze the sociodemographic characteristics and dropout factors in students of the Sociology major at the University of Cuenca in the 2022-2023 cohort. The research approach is qualitative, with a descriptive, explanatory and non-experimental design with a case analysis methodology, so the study population is the students who dropped out of the Sociology degree in said cohort, in which, intentional non-probabilistic sampling was used. The instruments used for data collection are the semi-structured interview for its corresponding coding and categorization using the ATLAS ti version 9 software. Based on the results obtained, the determining factors of dropout in students of the first two cycles of the sociology major at the University of Cuenca in the 2022-2023 cohort are: to a greater extent to personal factors, such as low vocational motivation and level of preference for choosing the Sociology major as a second option; academic factors since subjects with greater theoretical than practical weight predominate, which leads students to not have a greater understanding and motivation for sociology and as a last factor, due to the existence of cases of machismo, harassment, discrimination and normalized bullying among peers, Likewise, of the students surveyed who have suffered as those who have not, indicate that the classrooms of the degree are an unprotected space due to the presence of these cases in the classrooms.
Análisis de la marginación social hacia las mujeres con trabajo informal en el sector 9 de Octubre durante el periodo 2023
(Universidad de Cuenca. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, 2025-10-17) Cárdenas Segarra, Nancy Leonor; Zhimnay Valverde, Cristian Fabián
This research focuses on the reality of informal workers who work near the 9 de Octubre market in the city of Cuenca, a vulnerable and marginalized social group due to economic precariousness and lack of access to basic services. The study aims to analyze the strategies that these women need to deal with social exclusion, taking into account that work is informal, as a means of subsistence, without guarantees of stability and social protection. The research considered that social marginalization is persistent due to structural and socioeconomic factors that influence disproportionate behavior towards women in the informal sector. Given that it is necessary to carry out an analysis because women are the ones who run the greatest risk due to excessive responsibilities and discrimination at work. Statistical and theoretical data show that the increase in the number of informal workers and the high representation of women in this sector prove that the situation of exclusion and precariousness is worsening. Finally, a case study is carried out, working only from life stories and non-participant observation, thus describing their situation in the informal sector, identifying the factors that determine their exclusion and determining the main consequences of this problem.
Participación organizacional de adultos mayores en territorio rural en contexto de emigración: estudio de caso en la Parroquia La Asunción del Cantón Girón, 2025
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2025-09-23) Guillen Tello, Daniela Alejandra; Llanos Samaniego, Daniel Emmanuel; Encalada Calle, Daniel Alberto
Demographic changes resulting from migratory movements, such as the depopulation of rural communities due to emigration, contribute to the transformation of participation dynamics among older adults. This is the case in the parish of La Asunción (Azuay), where there is a marked trend of emigration among young people of working age. This process has affected social organization and the levels of participation, integration, and support perceived by older adults. The aim of this research was to analyze how migration is related to the dynamics of participation, integration, and social support as perceived by older adults in the community. The study, descriptive and cross-sectional in nature, drew on census data, the parish PDOT, interviews with local authorities, and structured surveys applied to 258 older adults. The results show that organizational participation reaches a medium-low index, with barriers linked to distance and lack of information. Age is negatively associated with participation, while the number of children has a positive effect. Significant correlations were identified: moderate between participation and integration, weak but positive between participation and social support, and strong between integration and support. In addition, community life is perceived to have changed due to emigration, mainly in negative ways.
Expansión urbana y segregación espacial: Caso Challuabamba – Cuenca en la última década
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2025-09-23) Dumas Alvarez, Daniel Alexander; Patiño Lalvay, Jonnathan Andres; Mosquera Serrano, Mariana Eulalia
Cuenca is one of the most important cities in Ecuador, both in population size and its contribution to the country's economy, considered an intermediate city, it is in constant change structurally, economically, culturally and socially, but for some years it has become evident that the city faces a prolonged urban expansion that has been accentuated in the peripheries of the urban center and in the head of the rural parishes. This has led to certain social phenomena such as gentrification and segregation, which has affected native residents of rural areas and people with much lower incomes. In this way, this has led to cultural, social and economic transformations as a result of new influences and much more modern and "urban" lifestyles. One of these clear examples is the Challuabamba area, a sector located on the outskirts of the urban area, but which presents great urban growth where large gated communities, shopping centers and large farms are visible; Where before this was an agricultural area where the homes could be counted on the finger and now it is a completely different sector and where the native residents who still reside have seen, lived and felt this phenomenon firsthand. Therefore, this research aims to analyze the causes of segregation resulting from urban expansion, taking into account the perceptions and experiences of the residents in the last decade. The research will apply a mixed methodology based on semi-structured interviews and surveys, as this will allow for a better understanding of the phenomenon.
Análisis de las prácticas alimentarias, prácticas de producción agroecológica en las asociaciones Agroecológicas Ally Causay y APA Azuay y en las comunas Chunazana e Illapamba de la provincia del Azuay
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2025-05-19) Morocho Morocho, Joseline Andreina; Álava Atiencie, Nubia Gabriela
The concerning situation regarding our consumption habits and resource use, which far exceed the recovery capacity of our ecosystems, compels us to rethink our interactions, both individually and collectively, with the environment. The urgency to ensure food sovereignty and promote sustainable agriculture in the context of climate change has driven research in the province of Azuay. The objective is to analyze food practices and agroecological production, as well as their contribution to food sovereignty and sustainability, in four specific cases: Ally Causay, APA Azuay, Comuna Chunazana, and Comuna Illapamba, identified as agroecological associations in the region. The study is based on the importance of thoroughly understanding these dynamics to promote responsible and sustainable food and agricultural practices. The research methodology is mixed—quantitative and qualitative—with a participatory approach. A survey was conducted to collect quantitative data, followed by qualitative analysis through feedback workshops. The results were validated by the participants before drawing conclusions and recommendations. Among the main findings, it stands out that food practices are significantly influenced by the agroecological principles applied in production, which strengthens food sovereignty and the local economy. It is concluded that these actions improve food security, recommending increased agroecological training and the promotion of local markets.
Trayectoria de las curanderas cuencanas en las prácticas de la medicina ancestral andina: Análisis cultural y de género (2024-2025)
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2025-04-29) Cárdenas Castro, Daniela Vanessa; Chacón Martos, Carolina Michelle; Paño Yáñez, Pablo José
Although in recent decades there have been advances in terms of recognition of ancestral medicine, nevertheless, in praxis, ancestral medicine agents face structural problems. In this context, the objective of the research began to analyze the trajectories of women healers in relation to the practices of ancestral Andean medicine in the city of Cuenca in the period 2024-2025.For this purpose, an exploratory, cross-sectional and qualitative study was used, through techniques such as interview and non-participant observation. The results show that learning is acquired mainly by a spiritual gift, by family inheritance and by observation and community experience. The processes are perfected by new generations, by practice since childhood, by adaptation of Catholic beliefs and adaptation of other methods. Regarding the influence of gender roles, these practices are considered extensions of the care-giving role that falls on women. Regarding strengths, community support and recognition, women's resilience and permanence are identified, while among the challenges are the lack of institutional support, absorption of negative energies, low remuneration and economic precariousness, violence and discrimination. It is concluded that the trajectory of women in the practices of healing and energetic cleansing is fundamental for the preservation and transmission of this knowledge, which endures due to their resistance and commitment, despite the situation of violence and discrimination they face.

Browse

Recent Submissions