Socioeconomic characterization of the wayuu manzana indigenous community in colombia: A contribution from social engineering

Abstract

An analysis is presented on the socioeconomic conditions of the Wayuu indigenous community of Manzana, located in the municipality of Manaure, department of La Guajira, Colombia. The study was done from the Social Engineering concept, considered as the possibility that engineering student could visualize real life, not only from numerical data but also approaching such a reality. The methodology used in this research is qualitative-quantitative, in which statistics is used to record data, to count, to select and to categorize aspects that allow understanding and explaining reality. The qualitative aspects are collected from direct observation, description and graphic representation. All this allows contrasting the reality that perceived their senses and the statistical results. A survey was applied to 484 households in the community. One of the factors that stop development of the community is the limited understanding between the interaction of technological and social problems and the appropriation of reality. Students were able to recognize the value of context analysis beyond only numerical results.