Resumen

NUNEZ, Jesús. Rural social practices: Local knowledge and rural education. Investigación y Postgrado [online]. 2008, vol.23, n.2, pp.45-88. ISSN 2244-7474.

The present study was developed during the years 2003-2006 as part of the research project “Farmers, Education and Rurality” at the Rural Pedagogical Institute Gervasio Rubio. Eight rural teachers, graduate students registered in the Rural Education program, took part in the study. The goal was to reassess main social practices in order to systematize, socialize and validate the students’ experiences and in so doing generate teaching products that contribute with the formation of rural societies within a socio-culturally sensitive environment. The Reassessed Participative Research tool was used to analyze eight social practices: 1) traditional technologies; 2) natural and cultural biodiversity; 3) culinary practices; 4) music; 5) myth and legends; 6) popular sayings; 7) farmer’s tools and belongings; and, 8) reciprocal relations. Based on the results, we were able to develop didactic resources (videos, CDs, primers) for rural schools and a body of pedagogical strategies that could be incorporated into the rural teacher’s praxis, classroom projects, productive projects, community projects and national educational policies.

Palabras clave : rural social practices; local knowledge; rural education.