Experiences in the Daily and Academic Culture of a Wayuu

The main purpose of this research was to identify socio-cultural characteristics of a person from the Wayuu ethnic group based on his daily cultural and academic experiences. An interpretative epistemology was assumed and constructed using a biographical approach under a life history mode (Creswell, 1998). To collect data, various qualitative strategies were used: an open, in-depth interview, stories and field observation notes. The research data was obtained from a Wayuu participant from the Uraliyu clan who was a linguistic master's student in the College of Humanities and Education at LUZ when this research took place. Some conclusions revealed: a) Cultural transmission is made through the clan blessing executed by the grandfather while wayuu education and cultural maintenance is transmitted orally by the maternal grandmother; b) In his first years, the subject did not have a significant understanding of Spanish as a second language; in high school he mastered it in order to cover his academic needs; and c) he experienced culture shock while learning English. This research was associated with the line of Theory and Praxis of Qualitative Research for a Doctorate in Human Sciences. Adapted from the source document.