Characterization of the Symbolism of the Hammock as a Value Proposition for Scientific Cultural Tourism in the Municipality of Morroa Sucre, from the Perspective of Gender, Historical Memory, Cultural Heritage, and Interculturality

Abstract

Scientific cultural tourism integrates participatory research to identify, generate, accumulate, save, recover, and distribute traditional and academic knowledge about biodiversity in the territory (Antonio dos Anjos et al., 2011). Projects of this type rescue traditional and cultural practices and encourage the sustainable use of biodiversity in order to improve local economies. In this vein, this research project aims to characterize the symbolism of the hammock as a value proposition for scientific cultural tourism in the municipality of Morroa Sucre, from the perspective of gender, historical memory, cultural heritage, and interculturality. The project is based on interdisciplinary work between social work and industrial design, using a qualitative approach and phenomenological method. Information was collected through document review techniques, direct observations, and focus groups with eight hammock weavers. The results show four categories of study that are articulated as a framework in which the hammock serves as symbolism and cultural text, an expression of identity, equity, and the living memory of artisans and the community in general. The subcategories reveal and specify the dimensions of resistance, social transformation, and cultural belonging and relevance, forming a broad system of meanings that associate artisanal practices with educational, scientific, and sustainable development processes for the region.