Sociocultural and environmental education and the pattern of production in mountain communities. Presented by Fernando Agüero Contreras at the "Perth II: Global Change and the World's Mountains" conference in Perth, Scotland in September 2010.

1. SOCIOCULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION AND THE PATTERN OF
PRODUCTION IN MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES.
Dr. Fernando C Agüero Contreras.

2. An experience of sociocultural and environmental education at
communities level is presented in Central Mountain known as
Escambray o Guamuhaya one of the three most important and
complex; social and culturally, of the Cuban mountainous chains.
Although geographic and culturally represent a region, at present
is politically part of three provinces and among them Cienfuegos,
have biggest extension. The priority of the state to support the
zone explains the increased role of the university in it. This paper
will give you an overview in a short way of the experience, the
results and some theoretical reflections.

4. At Central Cuba are located the best land to harvest the coffee
production
Group of Mountain Guamuhaya
Group of Mountain
Guaniguanico
Group of Mountain Sierra Maestra

5. Cienfuegos was the only Cuban city of the XIX century, founded for French people. With a group of historical,
social and cultural particularities, it was declared recently “Cultural Patrimony of the Humanity”. Crossed by
complex historical components these have been defined as a transculturalization process which produce the main
features of Cubans at present time. The natural environment this region integrates more specificities becoming
relevant from geophysical perspective. In fact Cienfuegos is among the South of the Caribbean Coast, closed to
the biggest wetland area of the Caribbean Region well known as “the Swamp of Zapata” in the west but
surrounded by the mountainous group in the eastern known as “Escambray or Guamuhaya”. So the mountain
groups that represent the most important ecosystem of the region is located among Santa Clara's cities, Sanctis
Spíritus and Cienfuegos, possess an approximate extension of 1200Kms², a concentrated population of 32 000
thousand inhabitants that essentially resides in about 90 human establishments. The biggest height is the Pick
San Juan of 1156 MSNM and it prevails in the rest, an elevation average of about 450 MSNM.

6. From the Spaniards time until 1959 the main form of tenancy of
land was the great property and defending that positions its
owners became the zone in area of military conflict from 1960-
1965. In spite of that the social and economic transformation were
expanded and let observe at present how the Millennium
Development Goals of the UN have been basically fulfilled.
The Cuban mountain areas are defined as the place up to 200
meters over the sea level (OSL), considering the geologic and
geophysical specificities. The average of the height is of 450
meters and the top point high it is the San Juan Peak with 1140
meters (OSL). The extension area is about 430 Kms², it has
almost 6 thousand inhabitants which 80%. living in 32 concentrate
human settlements. Institution of education and the health care
system are in wide range expanded all over the mountain area
and these explain the zero infantile mortality rates and the same
for maternal mortality.

7. COMPLEX
Coffee Traditional Economy
ECOSYSTEM
INCOHERENT SOCIALIZATION PROCESS
Demographic
High level of urban Low cultural level Change: New
social
Diversity of Break cultural and
Cultural content Approach of
economic Education: high traditional
Relations Among citizenship technology
Expectation of life
Lost view about the ecosystem

8. Difficulties in Mountain Group
ESCAMBRAY. (I)
Global climate Change:
Hydrographic Basin
Biodiversity
Lost of Soil
Decrease production
Migration process

9. Among the main features of the zone have appeared the changed
of economic structures in which individual properties became
the main owner of land plantations to produce coffee, who are
organized in cooperative of production. Other important
sociological and anthropological factors in mountain zone are:
• Ageing of the main forces of production.
• Slow reproduction of the technician support for the production
requirements.
• High level of spatial mobility of the population.
(emigration/immigration).
• Weakness of the cultural tradition and cultural values.
• No clear concepts of rural – urban relations and their impacts
over the social dynamics.

10. • Weakness in the socialization roles of the educational system.
(higher expectation of life than possibilities to satisfy them).
• Limitation the ethic role of the family at community level
• Weakness of commitment of younger generation with goals of
sustainability of the ecosystem.
• Absence of new approaches of sciences and technology for
mountain survival at curricula in school level.
• A less clear perspective of science and technology in the social
view of solution of the community difficulties
• Weakness of food security

11. Difficulties in Mountain Group
ESCAMBRAY. (II)
CONFLICT BETWEEN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION SYSTEM.

12. Difficulties in Mountain Group ESCAMBRAY. (II)
CONFLICT BETWEEN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION SYSTEM.

13. At the same time the environmental difficulties increased their
roles claiming for new pattern of culture. Among them are:
1. Increase the dry season, which require transformation in
production system, new seeds, and new pattern of cultural to
produce.
2. Lack and weak awareness of the deforestation process, and
their influences and role in the mountain ecosystem.
3. Increase the influences hurricanes number in the summer time
and theirs dangerous results in the last years.
4. Absence of commitment of communities to manage the
watershed.
5. Fault of knowledge by communities to manage the hydrograph
basins
6. A deep and dangerous loss of soil.

14. SINTESIS DE LOS PROBLEMAS DEL ESCAMBRAY.
(V).

15. Afectaciones decadales por CT a Cienfuegos. Período 1851-2005
3
3
2 2 2
No. de organismos
2
1 1 1 1 1
1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0
1851-1860
1861-1870
1871-1880
1881-1890
1891-1900
1901-1910
1911-1920
1921-1930
1931-1940
1941-1950
1951-1960
1961-1970
1971-1980
1981-1990
1991-2000
1995-2005
Décadas
Afectaciones decadales de organismos ciclónicos a Cienfuegos.
Período 1851-2005

16. Hurricanes involving Cienfuegos.

17. Table No. I. Actions unfolded from the University to mountain communities
Communitarian Enterprises Families and Educational Local
work from the and Producers communities Institutions Government
University
Capacity Capacity Capacity Capacity building.
building building building And improve self
Improvement government
Capabilities Promote Promote Promote Promote
environment environment environment environment
leadership leadership leadership leadership
Introduce new Reinforce rural New subjects at Capacity building
approaches about extensionism curricula level: and improve
the sciences, and the role of NGOs and biodiversity and programs and
technology for new pattern of Communities communities communitarians
sustainable sciences and Participation projects
development technologies
to do to do to do to do compatible
compatible the compatible the compatible the the traditional
Rescuing traditional traditional traditional traditional knowledge with
knowledge knowledge with knowledge with knowledge with last results of the
last results of last results of last results of sciences for
the sciences for the sciences for the sciences for sustainable
sustainable sustainable sustainable development
development development . development

18. To develop these perspectives of work, the sociocultural approach
became the most appropriate focus to be applied. So was
possible not only to take the best value of the heritage tradition of
culture but the new results of sciences. It was shown that no only
the education and the information are important for people but it is
necessary to make discussions, to have new and better social
representations of those process, coming and helping with the
arts expressions, seeing experience and results of those persons,
enterprises and communities which experienced better
understanding and results.
The sociocultural approach and the action research method let an
special combination of interdisciplinary scope, join with critical
perspective the past and the present in a widest horizon of
necessities

19. Table No. II. Sociocultural approaches to develop environment and sustainable
education.
Environment Enterprises and Families and Educational Local
problems and Producers communities Institutions Government
difficulties for
sustainable
development
Rural extension Systematized Systematized Systematized
Theatre experiences, experiences, experiences,
Videos, films videos videos videos
Forums of discussions, discussions, discussions, public
Soil erosion discussions, arts public debate, public debate debate,
expositions, Productions fair, Productions fair, Productions fair,
cartels, field visits, field visits, field visits,
Theatre Theatre. Intersector
Interdisciplinary projects
actions
Rural extension Systematized Systematized Systematized
Theatre experiences, experiences, experiences,
Videos, films videos videos videos
Forums of discussions. discussions, discussions, public
Reforestation discussions, arts Public debate. public debate, debate,
expositions, Production fairs. Productions fair, Productions fair,
cartels, Field visits. field visits, field visits,
Theatre Theatre. Intersector
Interdisciplinary projects
actions

21. Table No. II.(B) Sociocultural approaches to develop environment and sustainable
education.
Environment Enterprises and Families and Educational Local
problems and Producers communities Institutions Government
difficulties for
sustainable
development
Rural extension Systematized Systematized Systematized
Theatre experiences, experiences, experiences,
Videos, films videos videos videos
Forums of discussions. discussions. discussions.
Watershed discussions, arts Public debate. Public debate. Public debate.
expositions, Productions fair. Productions fair. Productions fair.
cartels, Field visits, Field visits, Field visits,
Theatre Theatre Theatre
Interdisciplinary Intersector
actions projects
Rural extension Systematized Systematized Systematized
Theatre experiences, experiences, experiences,
Videos, films videos videos videos
Hydrograph Forums of discussions, discussions, discussions, public
basins discussions, arts public discussions, public discussions, discussions,
expositions, Productions fair, Productions fair, Productions fair,
cartels, field visits, field visits, field visits,
Theatre Theatre. Intersector
Interdisciplinary projects
actions

22. The educational institutions could do a great contribution
if they are capable to promote and improve theirs
curricula strategies. The need of a wider interdisciplinary
and intersectorial work and influence of the cultural as a
whole become a priority very closed to a new approach
of the science and technology to do reality the new
mode of production.

25. BARRERA CON
SAGÚ.

26. BARRERA DE VETIVER

27. Soil Soil