Abstract
This research explores how wellbeing is built through social practices related to the use of products of natural medicine (PNM) in local communities of southern Chile. Research inquiry involved the reconstruction of life-history of relevant local stakeholders, particularly through in-depth interviews (life-history method). The analysis relies on the social action theory, human scale development theory and the ecosystem services approach. Results indicate that, in this territory, wellbeing is socially constructed through everyday practices within the family unit, in a private atmosphere (e.g., the transmission of knowledge between parents and sons/daughters when they recollect, recognize and use medical herbs). Wellbeing is also built on another level, through social practices that are more public, such as the recollection and processing of medicine-plants carried out by the Intercultural Medicine Program. The social action theory allowed to observe social practices from everyday life, the ecosystem services approach helped to observe and understand natural resources, strictly related to local satisfaction strategies, becoming this way a theoretical anchor to understand well-being from the humane scale development perspective. In this sense, the main satisfactors identified were: the Inter-cultural Health Program, the Inter-Cultural Board, the cultural agents and the family unit. The Inter-Cultural Health Program is synergistically related to several needs, while the Inter-Cultural Board (discussion opportunity) is exclusively related to understanding and participation needs. Finally, the cultural agents and the family unit are related to the needs of affection, idleness and freedom, among others.
Highlights
Ecosystem services and local wellbeing: Case study on natural medicine products in Panguipulli, southern Chile
This research explores how wellbeing is built through social practices related to the use of products of natural medicine (PNM) in local communities of southern Chile
The analysis relies on the social action theory, human scale development theory and the ecosystem services approach
Summary
Para entender prácticas sociales y construcción de bienestar, la sociología ofrece la teoría de la acción social, que propone la idea de habitus y campo social como herramientas analíticas de la práctica social (Bourdieu and Wacquant 2005). La complicidad ontológica que propone la sociología reflexiva a través de los conceptos de habitus y campo social se puede entender como ‘espontaneidad imprecisa’ del actuar ‘natural’ de las personas en sus realidades sociales. Se reconocen distintos tipos de satisfactores según su modo de acción: a) sinérgicos, como el amamantamiento de un recién nacido (e.g., no sólo es positivo, sino también fundamental para su desarrollo como ser vivo, eventualmente ayuda a satisfacer todas las necesidades humanas desde la perspectiva del desarrollo a escala humana), b) singulares, que son aquellas estrategias particulares que satisfacen sólo una necesidad, c) inhibidores, Figura 1. Que a pesar de satisfacer una necesidad complican la satisfacción de otras necesidades, d) pseudo-satisfactores, que aparentemente satisfacen, pero en realidad estimulan una falsa sensación, e) destructores, son aquellos que vuelven imposible satisfacer las necesidades humanas fundamentales (e.g., armamentismo, violencia, drogadicción, etc.)
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