IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i9p3843-d1388058.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

University Students’ Perception of the Dehesa and the Associated Traditional Trades

Author

Listed:
  • Rebeca Guillén-Peñafiel

    (Department of Didactics of Social Sciences, Faculty of Teacher Training, Universidad de Extremadura, 10004 Cáceres, Spain)

  • Ana María Hernández-Carretero

    (Department of Didactics of Social Sciences, Faculty of Teacher Training, Universidad de Extremadura, 10004 Cáceres, Spain)

  • José Manuel Sánchez-Martín

    (Department of Art and Territory Sciences, Faculty of Business, Finance and Tourism, Universidad de Extremadura, 10004 Cáceres, Spain)

Abstract

The dehesas are one of the most emblematic landscapes of the Extremadura region (Spain). Along with its natural values, it preserves a wide repertoire of knowledge and trades rooted in the history and tradition of rural communities. However, the knowledge and practices that have characterized life in this environment are currently under serious threat. Faced with this problem, this study was based on the premise that, for individuals to commit themselves to the care and transmission of heritage, it is first necessary for them to know, understand and value it. For this reason, the main objective was to determine the knowledge and appreciation of university students with respect to the dehesa and the ancestral practice of grazing. It also aimed to analyze which are the most valued methodologies, activities, and future strategies for understanding and preserving these cultural landscapes and their ancestral practices. To this end, 400 university students were surveyed, and various quantitative and qualitative analyses were carried out. Quantitative techniques include analyses based on weighted averages, contingency tables and the chi-square test, while qualitative techniques are based on word frequency analysis and inductive content analysis. Despite coming from an environment dominated by this landscape and being one of the few regions that still preserve the ancestral practice of pastoralism, the results corroborated the students’ lack of understanding of the dehesa and the variety of uses it offers. In addition, it was evident that they have hardly frequented this landscape and have not participated in on-site educational experiences. It also revealed the importance of experiential and sensory activities in the understanding and appreciation of the rural environment and its traditions. The results can be useful for improving the design of educational tourism products based on intangible heritage. It can also be useful for adapting teaching strategies and activities to the level of knowledge and experiences of students, helping to ensure the success of the educational experience.

Suggested Citation

  • Rebeca Guillén-Peñafiel & Ana María Hernández-Carretero & José Manuel Sánchez-Martín, 2024. "University Students’ Perception of the Dehesa and the Associated Traditional Trades," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-27, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:9:p:3843-:d:1388058
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/9/3843/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/9/3843/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Feifei Yang & Rajenthyran Ayavoo & Norazlin Ab Aziz, 2023. "Exploring Students’ Push and Pull Motivations to Visit Rural Educational Tourism Sites in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-23, October.
    2. Parra-López, Carlos & Sayadi, Samir & Garcia-Garcia, Guillermo & Ben Abdallah, Saker & Carmona-Torres, Carmen, 2023. "Prioritising conservation actions towards the sustainability of the dehesa by integrating the demands of society," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    3. Ante Mandić, 2019. "Nature-based solutions for sustainable tourism development in protected natural areas: a review," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 39(3), pages 249-268, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Giachino, Chiara & Pattanaro, Giulio & Bertoldi, Bernardo & Bollani, Luigi & Bonadonna, Alessandro, 2021. "Nature-based solutions and their potential to attract the young generations," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    2. Setiawan PRIATMOKO & Moaaz KABIL & Robert MAGDA & Edit PALLAS & Lorant Denes DAVID, 2021. "Bali And The Next Proposed Tourism Development Model In Indonesia," Regional Science Inquiry, Hellenic Association of Regional Scientists, vol. 0(2), pages 161-180, June.
    3. Carlos García-Latorre & Rocío Velázquez & Alejandro Hernández & Paula Tejero & Maria J. Poblaciones, 2024. "Combining Zinc Biofortification and Native Trichoderma Inoculation Strategies for Subterranean Clover," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-17, April.
    4. Ante Mandić, 2020. "Structuring challenges of sustainable tourism development in protected natural areas with driving force–pressure–state–impact–response (DPSIR) framework," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 560-576, December.
    5. Ante Mandić & Lidija Petrić, 2021. "The impacts of location and attributes of protected natural areas on hotel prices: implications for sustainable tourism development," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 833-863, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:9:p:3843-:d:1388058. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.