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 in 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 interpretative methodology of Photo-voice. The objective is to interpret the value expressions of women participating in the community urban gardens of the Urban Farmers Network and the Muisca Indigenous Council in the locality of Bosa. Since the concept of values has been widely debated and multiple definitions have been proposed, this research adopts an interpretative approach to value from its function within the context of community urban gardens, particularly from women’s perspectives. For this reason, the actions they develop in these spaces reveal environmental, social, educational, economic, political, and subjective aspects. This poses challenges for environmental education regarding the reconciliation of different perspectives and values in the society–nature relationship. The value expressions are framed within a theoretical context that does not reduce values to axiology but rather understands that values emerge from the application of evaluative functions, where value is determined according to its usefulness, complement, and argument. According to Echeverría (2002), this approach—at the intersection of philosophy and mathematics—recognizes that human activity is guided by diverse systems of values, such as basic, epistemic, technical, economic, ecological, political, legal, social, moral, military, religious, and aesthetic. These systems only acquire concrete meaning when grounded in specific actions; that is, through the act of valuing. Instead of conceiving values exclusively from axiology (the study of values) and ontology (the study of being), this perspective presents them as functions: their significance emerges only when the notion of value is assigned. The research follows a qualitative orientation, centered on interpretation. The participants took photographs representing their interaction with and valuation of the gardens. The theoretical framework establishes a solid connection between Photo-voice and the value expressions of women in community urban gardens. It shows how women value and experience these spaces, thus contributing to the academic discussion and recommendations for urban agriculture from an environmental education perspective. The results include the perception and valuation of gardens, as well as the symbolic and practical role of daily activities, for the theoretical understanding of values in urban contexts. The study highlights the importance of considering women’s voices and experiences in urban planning and in promoting urban agriculture as a strategy of ongoing interaction and relationship-building. Keywords: Value Expressions, Photo-voice, Community Urban Gardens, Women, Environmental Education.