Resumen

FONSECA TOBASURA, María Isabel  y  TOBASURA ACUNA, Isaías. Land as Material and Symbolic Support for Older Adults in Viracachá, Boyacá, Colombia. Rev. pueblos front. digit. [online]. 2026, vol.21, e836.  Epub 24-Abr-2026. ISSN 1870-4115.  https://doi.org/10.22201/cimsur.18704115e.2026.v21.836.

This article analyzes the meaning of land and work in the experience of aging among peasant men and women from Viracachá, Boyacá, Colombia from a life-course perspective. Based on a qualitative study using in-depth interviews, life histories, and participant observation with nearly 50 older adults, it examines how land functions as a material and symbolic support of peasant life. The findings show that land not only guarantees subsistence but also structures identities, gender relations, inheritance dynamics, and care practices. While for men the loss of work capacity transforms social status, for women caregiving and the bond with land remain central to recognition. The article concludes that that rural aging must be understood through life trajectories rooted in the land.

Palabras llave : rural aging; life course; peasantry; identity; inheritance; care.

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