Urbanization in the Americas from its Beginning to the Present

Schaedel, Richard P.; Hardoy, Jorge E.; Kinzer, Nora Scott

doi:10.1515/9783110808018

Cited by 21 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…In contradiction to most studies performed in patriarchal societies, including Brazil and Latin America in general, today, men and their wives in Brazilian urban communities tend to share all aspects of raising their children, along with other activities typically considered domestic and therefore associated with women [62]. Indeed, we recorded that many of the interviewed men are very knowledgeable about medicinal and edible plants, which suggests to us that in urban communities, despite the culture of historical patriarchal influence, there seems to be less of a gender division of labor with respect to plant resources.…”

Section: Plos Onecontrasting

confidence: 60%

Gender differences in traditional knowledge of useful plants in a Brazilian community

2021

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Genders differ in traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) about plants, but how gender influences TEK sharing is still poorly understood. Here, we examined how gender is associated with the diversity, transmission, and structure of TEK. We tested whether women and men differ in terms of plant knowledge (species richness, α-diversity), knowledge heterogeneity (β-diversity), and in the structure of social-ecological networks they form. The study was carried out in a suburban community in the city of Ouro Preto, Southeastern, Brazil. Using the snow-ball technique, semi-structured interviews, guided tours, and participant observation, we gathered information from 33 women and 33 men in the community. We collected information about their culture, social-economic profiles, and plant knowledge from which we identified 291 plant species in 10 use categories. Overall, our results indicated that the cognition and sharing of ethnobotanical knowledge are structured by gender. Women rated better in their plant knowledge repertory (greater α-diversity), while plant knowledge among men was more heterogeneous (greater β-diversity), suggesting less information sharing among them. We observed that the network among women is more connected, exhibited greater information sharing, with a greater number of central individuals, who likely provide the cohesion and maintenance of TEK in the community. Our findings indicate how social-ecological networks can provide insights and information to unveil social patterns of knowledge transmission. Understanding how TEK is fostered and shared among community members will favor better planning of ethnobotanical studies, as well as inform decision-makers about strategies for the conservation of plant TEK.

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Section: Plos Onecontrasting

confidence: 60%