Abstract

MACARENA OSSOLA, María. Entre permisos y ejemplos. Reconfiguraciones familiares entre los jóvenes universitarios wichí en el noroeste argentino. Cuicuilco [online]. 2015, vol.22, n.62, pp.75-90. ISSN 0185-1659.

Based on certain theoretical perspectives, it is considered that for indigenous youth and adults, long school trajectories cause disruptions and cracks in the bonds between them and the communities to which they belong. This paper presents the results of ethnographic research regarding the socio-educational experiences of indigenous undergraduate students in Argentinian universities. The main purpose of this document is to analyze the impact of the latest formal education developed by a young Wichi group regarding the organization of the families and indigenous communities. The data makes reference to the reconfigurations of the bonds between young people, parents and siblings, regarding the expectations that each group has about the acquisition of knowledge at school. The corpus consists of interviews, informal conversations and participant observation records amongst a Wichi community located in the province of Salta, Argentina. The findings show that among young Wichi the extended length of university careers produces tensions and family rearrangements, in a context in which both the family and the indigenous communities undergo a marked enforcement of organization.

Keywords : indigenous; wichi; youth; universities; family; Argentina.