Abstract

DE LOS RIOS C, Juan Camilo  and  ALMEIDA, Jalcione. Perceptions and Adaptation Techniques to Socio - Environmental Risks in Paramo of Sonson, Colombia. Cuad. Desarro. Rural [online]. 2010, vol.7, n.65, pp.107-124. ISSN 0122-1450.

Current topics such as modernization, economic globalization, climatic change, and others are usually treated by the political, economic, and academic high classes without taking into account the perception of the most vulnerable social groups. These phenomena are risk sources particularly for the most vulnerable social groups; this is the case of the rural communities in the Paramo of Sonson Region in the Department of Antioquia, where this study took place. This is the place where the paramo ecosystem is located, and it was declared a special management area in 1995. This study's objective was to analyze Paramo Region farmers' perceptions and adaptation techniques to socio-environmental risks. Field work was based on qualitative methodology with semi-structured interviews to 22 farmers. Cultural Risk theory by Mary Douglas and Risk Society theory by Ulrich Beck guided the research. Three types of farmers were identified: coffee growers, extractors, and diversified. Significant differences in risk perception and adaptation techniques among the three types of farmers were evident.

Keywords : risk; risk perception; adaptation to risk; paramo; Colombia; Farm risks; Research; Risk perception; Research; Páramo de Sonson (Antioquia, Colombia).

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