Meaning of well-being from the lickan-antay perspective: A qualitative and decolonialist approach

Abstract

Objective. To analyze the meaning of well-being from the perspective of an Andean indigenous people: lickan-antay. Method. Qualitative study, descriptive design for comprehensive purposes, with intentional snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews were applied, analyzing the speeches of 16 lickan-antay from different communities in northern Chile, using tools of grounded theory. Results. The meaning of well-being for the lickan-antay is related to the integration of different harmonies: internal harmony, community harmony, harmony with nature and harmony in the ethnic-cultural development of lickan-antay. Conclusions. The meaning of well-being for the Lickan-antay is guided by a conception of the eco-cosmocentric world, shared with other indigenous Andean peoples, which differs from Western approaches to well-being. It is necessary to develop a line of local research, which allows establishing a body of cross-cultural knowledge, around the care and attention of the Lickan-Antay.