Latin American Network of Rural Psychology – Mexico
Sandra Hoffman Martíns, Alejandra Olivera and Manuela Martínez
Before discussing the Latin American Network of Rural Psychology (RedPsiRural), we believe it is essential to conceptualize what we mean by rural psychologyThis, not as a psychological subdiscipline, but as a "field of problems" in which psychology and rurality are articulated.
We assume that “rural life” It requires a specific psychological perspective, as it is a field of problems that challenges its theories and practices, conceived and developed from the urban sociocultural practices of modern subjects. We have recognized the importance of addressing the heterogeneities that arise from the tensions between rural and urban worldviews, evidenced both in the ways people relate to one another, to the land and nature, and in the diversity of modes of production, reproduction, and transformation of life. These practices are sustained by ways of life, historical and current social struggles for alternative development models, the recognition of rights, and political autonomy as an affirmation of one's own identity.
The general objective The goal of our network is to promote the development of rural psychology in Latin America as a field of knowledge and action through the organization of virtual and in-person events, the exchange and generation of publications that allow us to develop contributions, tools and techniques from psychology to contribute to the well-being and development of rural communities in Latin America.
Our network This movement has been developing since the 1st Latin American Congress of Rural Psychology, held in 2013 in the city of Posadas, Argentina, and organized by the Universidad de la Cuenca del Plata. It was during this congress that psychologists, students, and people from other disciplines across Latin America realized that we were not alone in our work and recognized the need to address the specific concerns and challenges faced by those living in rural areas or small towns, by designing and implementing new tools and methodologies tailored to this reality. In 2016, with a stronger connection to the field, the 2nd Latin American Congress of Rural Psychology was held at the Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, based in Seropédica, Brazil. But it was at the 3rd congress in September 2019 in Bogotá, Colombia, where we decided to meet as an Assembly and formalize what we had already begun to refer to as the Latin American Network of Rural Psychology. Together we drafted the formal charter of our Network and formed a Steering Group to make it a reality.
This Steering Group was initially made up of 15 people; however, due to the growing demand for activities, 8 more members have recently joined. This Group is organized around three coordinating bodies: the Communications Coordination (headed by Manuela Martínez from Argentina), the Coordination of publications and events (in charge of Alejandra Olivera-Méndez from Mexico), and the Internal and External Articulation Coordination (in charge of Sandra Hoffman Martins (from Argentina). The formation of the Steering Group takes place within the framework of the Latin American Congresses of Rural Psychology, organized by our Network, approximately every 2 years.
Since October 2019, the Steering Group has been meeting virtually to coordinate activities that give visibility and consolidation to our joint work with a view to a comprehensive multi and transdisciplinary commitment.
Our link with CLACSO This initiative stems from our belief that joining this renowned Network as a member center will allow us to validate and strengthen our work within universities, higher education institutions, government agencies, civil society organizations, businesses, and other institutions to which network members belong and/or that are related to the development and improvement of the quality of life in rural areas. Furthermore, we believe this association will help us generate and exchange scientific knowledge in the Latin American rural context with other networks and institutions affiliated with CLACSO.
We would also like to inform you that the Network uses some means of communication:
– Our channel of Youtube:
– Our website: https://sites.google.com/view/redpsirural/inicio
Through these virtual tools we share information about activities, events and news related to the Network.
Finally, we invite anyone interested in joining our network, whether or not they are psychologists, to register using the form on our website. Membership is completely free.
[+] Presentations from Member Centers
If you would like to receive more information about CLACSO's training programs:
[widget id=”custom_html-57″]
to our email lists.
