LA COMUNIDAD DE SAN RAMÓN DE LA VIRGEN DE SARAPIQUÍ: UN ESTUDIO DE CASO SOBRE TURISMO RURAL Y EMPODERAMIENTO DE MUJERES

Community empowerment plays a major role in society. Empowering communities in rural areas becomes fundamental for the socioeconomic growth of any region. The literature indicates that the empowerment of women can help increase their community development (Buendía-Martínez & Carrasco, 2013; Jiménez & López, 2014; Soto & Fawaz, 2016). This case study, based on qualitative research, aims at describing the perceptions of five women in a rural community after a training process of rural tourism during 2015-2018, to explore how these perceptions contribute to their community empowerment. Based on Feminist Theory (Grbich, 2009), the exploratory study will use content analysis (Hatch, 2002), in its thematic approach (Braun & Clarke, 2006; Clark & Braun, 2013) to categorize themes to present the women’s views. Data will be collected and triangulated through semi-structured interviews, field observation, and document gathering. The study will take place once there is a steady social normality due to the COVID-19 world crisis. The results will aim at better comprehending the experiences and the role women play in the rural community.