El huracán Karl: concepciones sobre su origen en una comunidad de Veracruz

Se analizan las concepciones e ideas de pobladores adultos sobre las afectaciones sufridas por el huracán Karl en 2010, en el municipio de La Antigua, Veracruz. Los datos se obtuvieron de entrevistas a informantes claves y grupos focales, además de la revisión de notas periodisticas. Se observa que las concepciones e ideas sobre el origen del desastre las adjudican a las fuerzas naturales, espirituales o religiosas sin reconocer la responsabilidad de las autoridades encargadas de elaborar politicas públicas en la materia y en la falta de previsión social y personal frente a sus devastadores efectos. Esta concepción dificulta la prevención, mantiene a la comunidad en situación de vulnerabilidad e impide o imposibilita la integración, la cohesión social y la acción colectiva.The aim of this article is to analyze the diverse ideas and perceptions from adults affected by hurricane Karl in 2010, in the Municipality of Las Antigua, Veracruz. The information was obtained from key informants and focus groups interviews, in addition to the journal reviewing. In general, people relate the cause of the hurricane to natural and religious forces not recognizing the responsibility of the authorities in charge of designing public politics, as well as the lack of personal and social prevision to face devastating effects. This whole perception makes prevention difficult and it maintains the vulnerability of the communities not allowing social cohesion and collective action

Las que se quedan: Género, Migración y Control Social

Migration impacts family structure, affecting both those who leave and those who stay, forcing all to confront a process of change and accommodation as a result of new realities. However, people are able to develop different strategies, more or less effective, allowing them to maintain their family bonds as well as to develop new networks of solidarity among the members of their communities. This is true for both sides of the frontier particularly in the case of coffee growing areas of central Veracruz, in the southeastern part of Mexico, where men typically migrate leaving women in care of the children and their households, under the tutelage of their relatives.  The absence of men in their communities -- (e.g., their husband, brothers, etc.) allows women to experience new forms of autonomy derived from the necessity of doing tasks and playing roles which normally belong to men, even if they do so under the control and vigilance of the community.  Also, they become closer to other women who live in similar situations and learn from each other to relate and help themselves in this hard process that can last years. Community media, like Radio Teocelo of Veracruz, transmitting in the area since more than 40 years, has represented an important collective vehicle promoting community development. In association with this radio, a group of researchers and students of the Psychology Faculty at the University of Veracruz, have designed a special radio program called: Women Voices from migration: the other side of the coin, in air from March 2010 to March 2011, as an strategy to promote women’s development giving them a voice to share and learn from one another’s experiences around migration.

Las que se quedan: Género, Migración y Control Social

Migration impacts family structure, affecting both those who leave and those who stay, forcing all to confront a process of change and accommodation as a result of new realities. However, people are able to develop different strategies, more or less effective, allowing them to maintain their family bonds as well as to develop new networks of solidarity among the members of their communities. This is true for both sides of the frontier particularly in the case of coffee growing areas of central Veracruz, in the southeastern part of Mexico, where men typically migrate leaving women in care of the children and their households, under the tutelage of their relatives.  The absence of men in their communities -- (e.g., their husband, brothers, etc.) allows women to experience new forms of autonomy derived from the necessity of doing tasks and playing roles which normally belong to men, even if they do so under the control and vigilance of the community.  Also, they become closer to other women who live in similar situations and learn from each other to relate and help themselves in this hard process that can last years. Community media, like Radio Teocelo of Veracruz, transmitting in the area since more than 40 years, has represented an important collective vehicle promoting community development. In association with this radio, a group of researchers and students of the Psychology Faculty at the University of Veracruz, have designed a special radio program called: Women Voices from migration: the other side of the coin, in air from March 2010 to March 2011, as an strategy to promote women’s development giving them a voice to share and learn from one another’s experiences around migration.  La migración transforma la estructura familiar enfrentando a quienes se van y a quienes se quedan a un proceso de cambio y adecuación forzado que, sin embargo, genera nuevos mecanismos y capacidades de transformación a nivel comunitario, familiar e individual. Consideramos que durante el proceso migratorio, las personas crean estrategias más o menos eficaces para mantener sus vínculos familiares y desarrollar nuevos lazos de solidaridad comunitarios y esto es cierto de ambos lados de la frontera, particularmente en las comunidades de la zona cafetalera del Centro de Veracruz, en el sureste mexicano, donde la mayoría de los emigrantes son varones y quienes se quedan al cuidado de los hijos y las propiedades familiares son las mujeres, generalmente bajo la tutela de sus parientes. La eminente ausencia de varones en la comunidad, sean padres, hermanos, hijos, parejas, permite a las mujeres experimentar nuevas formas de autonomía frente a la necesidad de llevar a cabo tareas y desempeñar roles que antes eran privilegio de los hombres, aún cuando ello se dé bajo el control y vigilancia de la comunidad. Además, acercarse a otras mujeres que viven situaciones similares para convivir y ayudarse mutuamente durante este difícil proceso que, en ocasiones, puede durar varios años. Los medios comunitarios, como Radio Teocelo de Veracruz, que se transmite en la zona desde hace más de 40 años, son vehículos de información colectiva que apoya a los grupos mayoritarios de estas comunidades promoviendo el desarrollo local. En vinculación con este medio, un grupo de investigadoras y alumnas de la Facultad de Psicología de la Universidad Veracruzana, diseñamos el programa titulado: Voces Femeninas de la Migración: la otra cara de la moneda, al aire de Marzo del 2010 a Marzo del 2011, como una estrategia de trabajo comunitario que permitiera dar voz a las mujeres, de tal forma que pudiesen compartir y aprender unas de otras de sus mutuas experiencias en torno a la migración