Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to configure the identity “santarosero" of the people of Santa Rosa de Agua, Maracaibo, Venezuela. This is a population that is recognized as a descendant of the indigenous people Añú or Paraujano and constantly recreates about belonging to this ethnic group. The specific aims were: 1) to characterize the definition of people of Santa Rosa de Agua on their belonging or not to de Añú people ,2) to describe the settings on the identity / alterity are woven people living in Santa Rosa de Agua, 3) to identify the processes, experiences and characteristics which allow them to be defined as belonging to a particular social group, 4) to analyze the representations related to participation in research studies by the inhabitants of the community of Santa Rosa de Agua; 5) to identify local knowledge about genetics and biomedical tests common to studies of individuals, and 6) the willingness to participate in research studies with a genetic component. The research was based on a qualitative methodology, which focuses on the point of view of the actor. The technique to collect the in-formation was made possible by conducting four focus groups in which 30 people participated, 3 men and 27 women, who are assumed to be "santaroseros" , living in the town of Santa Rosa de Agua. The reading is done from the Anthropology and Sociology, according the following categories: identity, culture and cultural change, genetics and knowledge from local cultures.