Narratives and Metaphors About the San Pedro River in the City of Aguascalientes, Mexico

Abstract

This article presents the results of qualitative socio-environmental research on the narratives and metaphors that some inhabitants of the city of Aguascalientes, Mexico, shared about the San Pedro River. The preceding reflects human beings’ relationship with polluted and abandoned urban rivers. In the academic field, chemical research on the San Pedro River stands out; however, it is difficult to find social studies on the matter. Following the reflective process proposed by Archer (2016), we sought to identify the ideas, projects, and actions through testimonies of the people around the San Pedro River. The primary data collection technique used was the open interview. The selection criteria for the key agents were according to the geographic proximity, the number of years they had been living near the San Pedro River, continuous participation as environmental activists, public workers related directly to the environment, or the degree of scientific knowledge of these subjects. Among the findings, there were narratives about environmental awareness among the research collaborators, memories of abundance, and utopias and dystopias about the future of the San Pedro River.