Resumen

BORGES DE SAAVEDRA, E; RINCON, N  y  URDANETA, F. Vision of the life quality of the habitants of La Estrella community, La Cañada de Urdaneta county Zulia state. Rev. Fac. Agron. [online]. 2003, vol.20, n.2, pp.238-252. ISSN 0378-7818.

With the object of determining a vision of the quality of life of the habitants in the La Estrella community, located in La Cañada de Urdaneta County, Zulia state, and in order to define strategic guidelines for constructing a rural integral participative development plan, analytical-descriptive research was made in the field and applied to a population conformed by 90 farmers and their families, for the purpose of describing of their present life quality characteristics. The Humane Development Index (HDI) was calculated and along with its components, and a vision of both their individual and collective future in relation to life quality was described. Possible gaps between their actual life quality and their future vision of life quality were described. The Mercader (6) and CEPET (1) approaches were adapted; meetings were held, participative workshops organized and a survey of 25 farmers was made. The results show a low HDI (0.45), with a high level of illiteracy, high scholastic desertion, low income, low life quality, a short term vision (1 year), little difference between what they individually have and what they expect to have, low community participation and low goal motivation. However as a community they are seen to have strength and ample capacity to confront their internal and external realities. Certain principles are proposed, making emphasis on the development of organizational values, which focus on two guideline strategies : organizational strengthening and training.

Palabras clave : Human development index; life quality; vision; gaps.