Intracultural Differences in Local Botanical Knowledge and Knowledge Loss among the Mexican Isthmus Zapotecs
Por:
Saynes-Vasquez, Alfredo, Vibrans, Heike, Vergara-Silva, Francisco, Caballero, Javier
Publicada:
17 mar 2016
Resumen:
This study reports on the socio-demographic and locality factors that
influence ethnobiological knowledge in three communities of Zapotec
indigenous people of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mexico. It uses local
botanical nomenclature as a proxy for general ethnobiological knowledge.
In each of these communities (one urban and two rural), 100 adult men
were interviewed aided with a field herbarium. Fifty had a background in
farming, and 50 worked in the secondary or tertiary sector as their main
economic activity, totaling 300 interviews. Using a field herbarium with
samples of 30 common and rare wild regional species, we documented
visual recognition, knowledge of the local life form, generic and
specific names and uses (five knowledge levels measuring knowledge
depth). The relationship between sociodemographic variables and
knowledge was analyzed with simple correlations. Differences between the
three communities and the five knowledge levels were then evaluated with
a discriminant analysis. A general linear analysis identified factors
and covariables that influenced the observed differences. Differences
between the groups with different economic activities were estimated
with a t-test for independent samples. Most of the relationships found
between sociodemographic variables and plant knowledge were expected:
age and rurality were positively related with knowledge and years of
formal schooling was negatively related. However, the somewhat less
rural site had more traditional knowledge due to local circumstances.
The general linear model explained 70-77% of the variation, a high
value. It showed that economic activity was by far the most important
factor influencing knowledge, by a factor of five. The interaction of
locality and economic activity followed. The discriminant analysis
assigned interviewees correctly to their localities in 94% of the
cases, strengthening the evidence for intracultural variation. Both
sociodemographic and historic intracultural differences heavily
influence local knowledge.
Filiaciones:
Saynes-Vasquez, Alfredo:
Colegio Postgrad, Postgrad Bot, Campus Montecillo, Montecillo, Texcoco, Mexico
Vibrans, Heike:
Colegio Postgrad, Postgrad Bot, Campus Montecillo, Montecillo, Texcoco, Mexico
Vergara-Silva, Francisco:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Biol, Jardin Bot, Ciudad Univ, Mexico City 04510, DF, Mexico
Caballero, Javier:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Biol, Jardin Bot, Ciudad Univ, Mexico City 04510, DF, Mexico
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