Abstract

MONTESI, Laura; CALESTANI, Melania  and  ORTEGA ZAVALA, Nadia. Experiences and Meanings of the COVID-19 Pandemic among Indigenous People in Structural Vulnerability: A Qualitative Study in the State of Oaxaca. Región y sociedad [online]. 2023, vol.35, e1785.  Epub Dec 04, 2023. ISSN 2448-4849.  https://doi.org/10.22198/rys2023/35/1785.

Objective: the main aim of this article is to examine from a phenomenological perspective the perceptions, evaluations, and experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic among indigenous people in rural and semi-urban contexts characterized by structural vulnerability. Methodology: interviews were conducted with seven indigenous people living in rural contexts in the state of Oaxaca. Results: The people interviewed presented conditions of vulnerability that influenced their experience of the pandemic, with expressions of fear, distrust, disbelief, or resignation. They emphasized the social and economic costs, but also expressed elements of protection and resilience related to their way of life. Limitations: the study has no ambitions of representativeness; it constitutes an exploratory approach that would benefit from broadening and deepening. Value: It contributes to portray the way in which the COVID-19 pandemic was experienced in the indigenous rural environment. Conclusions: We conclude that the sociocultural and structural characteristics of this context influenced the perception, valuation, and experience of the pandemic.

Keywords : COVID-19; Oaxaca; indigenous people; perception; experience; structural vulnerability.