Entre lo urbano y lo rural : interpretación de las expresiones valorativas de las mujeres participantes en las huertas urbanas comunitarias de la Red de Agricultores Urbanos y el Cabildo Indígena Muisca de la localidad de Bosa en el periodo 2020-2024

Abstract

This research presents the role of women in community urban gardens in the locality of Bosa, interpreting the expressions that emerge within these spaces of social interaction. Everyday activities such as planting, harvesting, and producing food are imbued with symbolism and meaning. These actions reflect each woman’s perspective, expressed through the participatory and interpretive methodology of Photo-Voice. The objective is to interpret the value expressions of women participating in the community urban gardens of the Network of Urban Farmers and the Muisca Indigenous Council in Bosa. The concept of “values” has been widely debated, with multiple definitions proposed; however, this research interprets value from its function within the context of community urban gardens from the women’s perspective. The actions carried out in these spaces reveal environmental, social, educational, economic, political, and subjective dimensions. This poses challenges for environmental education, particularly regarding the reconciliation of different perspectives and values in the relationship between society and nature. The theoretical framework of value expressions goes beyond a merely axiological approach, understanding that values emerge through evaluative functions—where value is determined by its utility according to its complement and argument. According to Echeverría (2002), this approach integrates philosophy and mathematics, recognizing that human activity is guided by diverse systems of values: basic, epistemic, technical, economic, ecological, political, legal, social, moral, military, religious, and aesthetic. These systems acquire concrete meaning only when applied to specific actions—that is, through the act of valuing. Rather than conceiving values solely through axiology (the study of values) or ontology (the study of being), this perspective treats them as functions, where meaning arises only when the notion of value is assigned. The research follows a qualitative, interpretive approach. Participants captured photographs representing their interaction with and appreciation of the gardens. The theoretical framework establishes a solid foundation connecting Photo-Voice and the value expressions of women in community urban gardens. It reveals how women value and experience these spaces, thereby contributing to academic discussions and recommendations on urban agriculture from an environmental education perspective. The findings highlight women’s perceptions and evaluations of the gardens, as well as the symbolic and practical role of daily activities. This contributes to a theoretical understanding of values in urban contexts and underscores the importance of considering women’s voices and experiences in urban planning and in promoting urban agriculture as a strategy for continuous relationship and interaction.