Dialogues with the Community: Knowledge Exchange from Ethnobiology

This work presents a synthesis of the reflections and discussions generated at the communications session “Dialogues with the community: University extension, exchange of knowledge and communication,” which took place at the III Jornadas Argentinas de Etnobiología y Sociedad (Third Argentine Conference on Ethnobiology and Society). The different ways the academic field establishes bonds with the community are analyzed, and the concepts of dissemination and critical extension are discussed. The various experiences presented at the meeting are discussed from different analysis perspectives, such as the reflection on the main achievements, limits, and problems from daily practice and the results obtained. In the experiences analyzed, the interest in interinstitutional articulation stands out, allowing the approach toward social problems in a complex and comprehensive way, as well as the importance and need to revalue popular knowledge, an aspect that runs through all the experiences analyzed. Finally, reflections on the ways of establishing links and how active participation is constituted in the management and planning of extension projects, volunteering, and communication in a co-constructed way are shared.