Parent-child conversations in three urban middle-class contexts: Mothers and fathers reminisce with their daughters and sons in Costa Rica, Mexico, and Germany

Abstract. The present study investigated culture- and gender-differences in mother- and father-child reminiscing with 3-year old daughters and sons in urban middle-class families from Costa Rica, Mexico, and Germany. Families of the three contexts were overall similarly elaborative and children contributed a similar amount of memory elaborations. However, context specific use of different elaborative elements related to specifi c elaborative styles. Compared to the Latin American families, conversations in German families were least socially oriented. Across contexts, parents talked more about social aspects with daughters than with sons. Costa Rican mothers and fathers were equally elaborative, whereas German and Mexican mothers were more elaborative than fathers. We found similarities but also specifi cities in parent-child conversations about the past across these contexts with similar educational backgrounds.Resumen. El presente estudio investigó diferencias según cultura y género en las conversaciones sobre el pasado de niños y niñas de 3 años de edad con sus progenitores en contextos urbanos en Costa Rica, México y Alemania. En los tres contextos, el nivel de elaboración general de las conversaciones fue similar y los niños produjeron una cantidad similar de recuerdos. Sin embargo, se encontraron diferencias culturales en algunos aspectos de elaboración. En comparación con las familias latinoamericanas, las conversaciones de las familias alemanas estaban orientadas socialmente en menor medida. En todos los contextos, los progenitores hablaron más acerca de aspectos sociales con las hijas que con los hijos. Padres y madres costarricenses evidenciaron niveles de elaboración similares, mientras que las madres alemanas y mexicanas mostraron niveles de elaboración mayores que los padres. Nuestros hallazgos indican la presencia de similitudes y diferencias en las conversaciones sobre el pasado en familias con niveles educativos similares provenientes de distintos contextos culturales.

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LA MUJER EMPRENDEDORA EN EL TURISMO RURAL: PECULIARIDADES DEL CASO COSTARRICENSE A TRAVÉS DE LA REVISIÓN BIBLIOGRÁFICA

Cuadernos de Turismo ◽

10.6018/turismo.451691 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 185-214

Author(s):

Merlyn Gutiérrez Cruz ◽

María Jesús Such Devesa ◽

Patricia Gabaldón Quiñones

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Costa Rica ◽

Latin American ◽

Costa Rican ◽

Rural Tourism ◽

Female Entrepreneurs ◽

Rural Entrepreneurship ◽

Revisión Sistemática ◽

Business Women ◽

The World

Este artículo analiza el fenómeno de la mujer emprendedora en el turismo rural en Costa Rica, enmarcándola en el contexto latinoamericano y en el de las emprendedoras rurales. A partir de una revisión sistemática de la literatura, se define el perfil de las empresarias, sus motivaciones y las barreras que enfrentan. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto las importantes similitudes entre las emprendedoras turísticas rurales costarricenses con el resto de las emprendedoras en Latinoamérica y del mundo. Este estudio contribuye al conocimiento de las emprendedoras dentro del marco del turismo rural, esencial para el desarrollo económico del país. This article analyzes the phenomenon of entrepreneurial women in rural tourism in Costa Rica, framed within the Latin-American and rural entrepreneurship context. Using a systematic literature review, the profile of business-women gets defined through their motivations to start their businesses and the barriers they face. The results show the important similarities between Costa Rican rural tourism entrepreneurs and other female entrepreneurs in Latin America and the world. This study contributes to the knowledge of these entrepreneurs within the framework of rural tourism, essential for the economic development of developing countries.

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Gender, Sexuality, and Identity in 20th-Century Costa Rica

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History ◽

10.1093/acrefore/9780199366439.013.607 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Patricia Alvarenga

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Middle Class ◽

20Th Century ◽

Subjective Experience ◽

Gender And Sexuality ◽

Gender Identities ◽

And Gender ◽

Patriarchal Power ◽

Male Authority ◽

Feminist Movements

Proposals challenging male authority gained strength in Costa Rica during the 20th century and, especially at the turn of the 21st century, and questioned naturalized sexual and gender identities. The effects of these discursivities are varied. The experience of feminists, of middle-class women outside these discursivities, and of women of the subaltern classes demonstrate the plurality of meanings attributed to gender relations as filtered through subjective experience. The introduction of alternative identity proposals destabilizes the established parameters of sexual and gender identities, but, at the same time, produces new conservative discursivities that limit the potential for change. Two feminist movements, one that reached its peak in the 1920s and a second that arose in the final decades of the 20th century, brought about substantive changes in female identities, revealing the power relations that underlie the discursive representation of patriarchal power as eternal and immutable. An assessment of contemporary feminism based on the experiences of its protagonists shows the movement’s significant gains as well as the challenges and weaknesses it has faced over its history, the most important of which may be how to reach beyond the sphere of well-educated, heterosexual, middle-class women. In conclusion, public discourses that have politicized gender and sexuality in Costa Rica are creatively constituted in the social world, according to what changes appear attainable at different moments of history. Carved out by actors committed to change, these discourses have achieved substantive transformations in institutional structures and subjectivities. However, present experience shows clearly that every affirmation of identity is precarious, and that the gains achieved require the ongoing, active engagement of civil society.

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Brechas de género en estudiantes de la Universidad Estatal a Distancia de Costa Rica y recomendaciones para su disminución

UNED Research Journal ◽

10.22458/urj.v4i2.13 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 239-246

Author(s):

Rosberly Rojas Campos ◽

Rocío Chaves Jiménez ◽

Ana Lucía Fernández Fernández

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Gender Equity ◽

Gender Stereotypes ◽

Costa Rican ◽

Female Students ◽

Access To Education ◽

University Management ◽

Institutional Services ◽

Las Mujeres ◽

And Gender

Las mujeres acceden, cada vez en mayor número, a la Educación Superior; en la Universidad Estatal a Distancia de Costa Rica (UNED) alcanzan el 60% de la población estudiantil. Sin embargo, mayor matrícula no necesariamente equivale a mayores y mejores oportunidades. Es por ello, que se analizan las diferencias existentes entre mujeres y hombres estudiantes de la UNED en las oportunidades de estudio y el acceso a los servicios institucionales. Para ello se aplicó un cuestionario al estudiantado en los meses de julio a setiembre del 2010, el cual permitió reconocer algunas de sus condiciones de estudio, conocimientos y estereotipos de género. Se presentan evidencias sobre las brechas, convertidas en acciones discriminatorias, que impiden el acceso igualitario y equitativo a las oportunidades de educación en la población estudiantil; tales como, la elección de carrera, la asistencia a las tutorías, la dedicación horaria al estudio, las jornadas de trabajo remunerado y no remunerado y la existencia de personas que dependen emocional y económicamente del estudiantado. También se muestran resultados sobre las percepciones acerca de los roles tradicionales de género en la sociedad. Se discute sobre la necesidad de formular una política institucional de igualdad y equidad de género y su respectivo plan de acción dirigido hacia la eliminación de las brechas identificadas, por medio de una estrategia de transversalización de la perspectiva de género en las actividades fundamentales de docencia, investigación, extensión y gestión universitaria.ABSTRACTStudent gender gaps in the Costa Rican Distance Education Universityand recommendations to reduce them. Women access HigherEducation, every day in greater numbers. In the Universidad Estatala Distancia de Costa Rica (UNED), women are 60% of the studentpopulation, but enrollment does not necessarily mean more and betteropportunities. Because of that, a study was done between July andSeptember 2010 with a questionnaire applied to a random sample of167 UNED students. We analyzed differences in studying opportunitiesand access to institutional services between male and female students,in order to recognize some of the students ́ conditions on areas likestudy, knowledge and gender stereotypes. There are gaps that blockequitable and equal access to education opportunities on the studentpopulation, including career choice, tutoring assistance, study time,working time (paid and unpaid) and the existence of emotionally andfinancially dependent people. There is a clear need for an institutionalpolicy for gender equity and equality, and a subsequent plan of actionleading towards the elimination of the identified gaps through gendermainstreaming on fundamental activities like teaching, research,extension and university management.

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The Use of Spanglish in Costa Rican Advertising

LETRAS ◽

10.15359/rl.2-58.3 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (58) ◽

pp. 51

Author(s):

Andrew Lloyd Smith

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Latin American ◽

Costa Rican ◽

Latin American Spanish ◽

American Spanish ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship

This paper will study the use of Spanglish in Costa Rican advertising. The significance of this research lies in the fact that although Spanglish is commonly found in Latin American Spanish, especially in advertising, the relationship of these two fields has rarely been analyzed in Costa Rica. Thus, this study can provide important insights into the use of Spanglish and its impact on advertising in commercial and social terms.Se examina el uso del espanglish en el lenguaje publicitario en Costa Rica. El valor de esta investigación radica en el hecho de que aunque el espanglish es habitual en el español de América, especialmente en la publicidad, la dinámica de estos dos temas ha sido escasamente analizada en Costa Rica. Por lo tanto, este estudio nos ofrece aportes importantes en el uso del espanglish, y su efecto en la publicidad, en términos comerciales y sociales.

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Costa Rica’s Historical Development and New Age of Progress

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics ◽

10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013.1711 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Adam Golob

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Latin American ◽

National Level ◽

The United States ◽

Costa Rican ◽

Gay Marriage ◽

Central American ◽

Lost Decade ◽

The Right ◽

Party Dominance

Costa Rica has historically faced many of the same challenges as its Central American neighbors, but to a less dramatic extent. This has put the country on a unique path of political and economic development. Even today, it outperforms its neighbors, often including its more developed neighbors, like the United States, in essential measurements of human development, happiness, lack of corruption, and economics. Many Costa Rican scholars have concluded that the nation benefitted from its time as a colonial outcast and from a lack of exploitable resources like gold and silver. The common misbelief that Costa Rica was settled without the destruction of natives, that the country gained a peaceful independence, and that it somehow avoided all the pitfalls of Latin American development is now met with resistance, and a better understanding of Costa Rican history has emerged. Although Costa Rican development has not been without its complications, issues, and bloody epochs, it has been far less extreme and far more open to change, democracy, and progress. Costa Rica was able to gain a semi-peaceful independence, form a strong republic, and endure the “lost decade” better than many other countries in the region. Since 2008, this tiny country has progressed rapidly. It joined CAFTA-DR, elected its first female president, ended 70 years of two-party dominance, survived national-level scandal, legalized gay marriage, and elected a progressive leftist president in 2018 despite a global shift to the right for political leaders. Yet along with progress comes continued struggles. Costa Rica faces new challenges in the 21st century. In the new millennium, it confronts issues of social injustice, rising crime rates, economic dependency on international monetary institutions, corruption, and human rights, to name a few.

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Community Engagement and Cognition in a Sample of Older Adults Residing in Costa Rica

Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology ◽

10.1093/arclin/acz029.46 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 34 (7) ◽

pp. 1279-1279

Author(s):

E Valdivieso Mora ◽

M Ivanisevic ◽

D Johnson

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Costa Rica ◽

Community Engagement ◽

Latin American ◽

Social Engagement ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Costa Rican ◽

Urban Region ◽

Rural Region ◽

The Impact

Abstract Objective Costa Rica has the highest percentage of older adults (65+) of the Central American and Latin American region. In fact, Costa Rica has the highest life expectancy within an advanced healthcare system and socioeconomic infrastructure that differentiates it from neighboring countries in Central America. Previous research has shown that older adults who engage in higher social engagement show overall better cognitive functioning (Chen et al., 2018); however, limited research has examined the impact of socialization on cognition across rural and urban regions and furthermore no research to date has examined these factors in Costa Rican older adults. This study examined the effects of community engagement on cognition in urban and rural older adults residing in Costa Rica. Participants and Method Participants were neurotypical older adults residing in San Jose (urban region, n = 156) and Guanacaste (rural region, n = 69). Those with a history of neurological conditions and major psychiatric disorders were excluded. Results Older adults residing in an urban area (M = 55.43, SD = 23.26) participate more in social engagement within the community compared to those residing in the rural region (M = 46.30, SD = 28.50), p = 0.019. Furthermore, in the urban sample, those with higher social engagement showed better performance on learning and encoding (r = 30), verbal memory (r = 0.26), and executive functioning (r = .20). In older adults residing in the rural region, higher social engagement was only associated with better visuospatial abilities (r = 0.27). Conclusions Findings suggest that social engagement in the community for older adults in Costa Rica may serve as a protective factor for their cognitive health. However, there are significant differences on what cognitive processes serve as a protective factor as a function of location (rural versus urban). This study highlights the importance of examining the quality of social engagement when evaluating the cognition of Costa Rican older adults. References Chen, Ya-Mei, Tu, Yu-Kang, Yu, Hsiao-Wei, Chiu, Tzu-Ying, Chiang, Tung-Liang, Chen, Duan-Rung, & Chang, Ray-E. (2018). Leisure time activities as mediating variables in functional disability progression: An application of parallel latent growth curve modeling. PLoS ONE, 13(10).

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“La Negrita” Queen of The Ticos: The Black Roots of Costa Rica's Patron Saint

The Americas A Quarterly Review of Latin American History ◽

10.1353/tam.2013.0025 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 69 (3) ◽

pp. 323-355

Author(s):

Russell Lohse

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Los Angeles ◽

Central America ◽

African Diaspora ◽

Latin American ◽

Political Stability ◽

Costa Rican ◽

High Rate ◽

Patron Saint ◽

Latin American Countries

In sharp contrast to her mestizo and mulatto neighbors, Costa Rica is one of a handful of Latin American countries commonly regarded as “white.” For more than a century, national elites and foreign observers alike attributed Costa Rica's relative political stability, high rate of literacy, and prosperity to the nation's supposed racial homogeneity. The “Switzerland of Central America” was rarely regarded as part of the African Diaspora, yet people of African descent have been part of Costa Rican society since its colonial beginnings. In fact, the patron saint of Costa Rica has always been depicted as black. Known affectionately as La Negrita, the Virgen de los Angeles is believed to have appeared with a divine mandate of harmony at a remote time when Costa Rica was divided by racial tensions. In the legend of her apparition some have found the key to Costa Rica's tradition of “rural democracy.”

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Antivenomics and in vivo preclinical efficacy of six Latin American antivenoms towards south-western Colombian Bothrops asper lineage venoms

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽

10.1371/journal.pntd.0009073 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. e0009073

Author(s):

Diana Mora-Obando ◽

Davinia Pla ◽

Bruno Lomonte ◽

Jimmy Alexander Guerrero-Vargas ◽

Santiago Ayerbe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Latin American ◽

Species Complex ◽

Sensu Stricto ◽

Costa Rican ◽

Snake Species ◽

Bothrops Asper ◽

Preclinical Efficacy

Background Bothrops asper represents the clinically most important snake species in Central America and Northern South America, where it is responsible for an estimated 50–80% of snakebites. Compositional variability among the venom proteomes of B. asper lineages across its wide range mirrors clinical differences in their envenomings. Bothropic antivenoms generated in a number of Latin American countries commonly exhibit a certain degree of paraspecific effectiveness in the neutralization of congeneric venoms. Defining the phylogeographic boundaries of an antivenom's effectivity has implications for optimizing its clinical use. However, the molecular bases and impact of venom compositions on the immune recognition and neutralization of the toxic activities of across geographically disparate populations of B. asper lineages has not been comprehensively studied. Methodology/Principal findings Third-generation antivenomics was applied to quantify the cross-immunorecognizing capacity against the individual components of venoms of three B. asper lineages (B. asper (sensu stricto), B. ayerbei and B. rhombeatus) distributed in south-western (SW) Colombia, of six Latin American antivenoms, produced against homologous (Colombia, INS-COL and PROBIOL) and Costa Rica (ICP)), and heterologous (Argentina (BIOL), Perú (INS-PERU) and Venezuela (UCV)) bothropic venoms. In vivo neutralization assays of the lethal, hemorrhagic, coagulant, defibrinogenating, myotoxic, edematogenic, indirect hemolytic, and proteolytic activities of the three SW Colombian B. asper lineage venoms were carried to compare the preclinical efficacy of three (Colombian INS-COL and PROBIOL, and Costa Rican ICP) antivenoms frequently used in Colombia. Antivenomics showed that all the six antivenom affinity matrices efficiently immunoretained most of the B. asper lineages venom proteins and exhibited impaired binding towards the venoms' peptidomes. The neutralization profile of the INS-COL, PROBIOL and ICP antivenoms towards the biological activities of the venoms of SW Colombian B. asper (sensu stricto), B. ayerbei and B. rhombeatus lineages was coherent with the antivenomics outcome. In addition, the combination of in vitro (antivenomics) and in vivo neutralization results allowed us to determine their toxin-specific and venom neutralizing antibody content. Noteworthy, heterologous INS-PERU, BIOL, and UCV bothropic antivenoms had equal or higher binding capacity towards the venoms components of SW Colombian B. asper lineages that the homologous Colombian and Costa Rican antivenoms. Conclusions/Significance The combined in vitro and in vivo preclinical outcome showed that antivenoms manufactured in Colombia and Costa Rica effectively neutralize the major toxic activities of SW Colombian B. asper lineage venoms. The antivenomics profiles of the heterologous antivenoms manufactured in Argentina, Venezuela, and Perú strongly suggests their (pre)clinical adequacy for the treatment of B. asper lineage envenomings in SW Colombia. However, their recommendation in the clinical setting is pending on in vivo neutralization testing and clinical testing in humans. Bothrops asper is a highly adaptable snake species complex, which is considered the most dangerous snake throughout much of its distribution range from the Atlantic lowland of eastern México to northwestern Perú. Antivenoms are the only scientifically validated treatment of snakebite envenomings. Venom variation is particularly common in wide ranging species, such as B. asper, and may result in variable clinical presentations of envenomings, as is the case for the B. asper species complex, potentially undermining the efficacy of snakebite treatments depending on the immunization mixture used in the generation of the antivenom. Conversely, phylogenetic conservation of antigenic determinants confers an unpredictable degree of paraspecificity to homologous antivenoms produced for a geographic area, but also to heterologous congeneric antivenoms, towards the venom components of allopatric conspecific populations. This work aimed at comparing the preclinical profile of a panel of Latin American homologous and heterologous antivenoms against the venoms of B. asper lineages distributed in SW Colombia. The outcome of this study strongly suggests the suitability of considering the heterologous antivenoms BIOL (Argentina), UCV (Venezuela) and INS-PERU (Perú) as alternatives to homologous Colombian INS-COL and PROBIOL and Costa Rican ICP antivenoms for the treatment of envenomings by B. asper (sensu stricto) in W Colombia and Ecuador, B. ayerbei in Cauca and Nariño (Colombia), and B. rhombeatus in Cauca river valley, SW Colombia.

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