Hábitat y Sociología de las Ausencias: extensión universitaria con el Pueblo Kolla de Hurcuro-Salta (2018)

Abstract

This article describes the experience shared by the Universidad Nacional de Salta (Salta National University) and the Kolla community from Hurcuro within the framework of the habitat improvement outreach project called Agua Caliente para los Hurcureños (Hot Water for the Hurcureños). This initiative focused on installing solar water heaters in the community members’ houses and building local capacities by providing training in water heater installation and maintenance. Hurcuro is located in the Puna region of Salta Province, at 4000 m.a.s.l. and 30 km from the town called San Antonio de los Cobres (Los Andes District).This project was financed by the Secretaría de Extensión (Outreach Secretariat) of the Salta National University and it was carried out during 2018. Apart from its cultural and natural diversity, the Puna region is characterized by negative nutrition, health, education and energy access indicators. Moreover, the communities’ ways of life are badly affected by land property disputes and the expansion of the agricultural and mining frontiers. The experience described in this paper is framed within an outreach project from an Argentinian national university and it is a space from which to look at both the (re)production of habitat senses in communities culturally different from the western one –by applying the Sociology of Absences- and the outreach worker’s task -by using the notion of Rear Intellectual.