Inequality and social inclusion from an indigenous community in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. Review of indicators and proposed of a spatial and cultural expression

This article presents an analysis of the development of a disasters prevention culture in Mexico and the contributions of the formal education system in this process. The article has two purposes; on the one hand, it identifies some of the factors that hinder the development of that culture and, on the other hand, it presents recommendations in order to increase the participation of the education sector in disaster prevention. Education is recognized as a transforming factor of the values, attitudes and behaviors of the individuals of a society.

The possibility of an increase in sudden or man-made catastrophes is greater. For this and other reasons the notion of risk is today more than ever present in political agendas of governments, academic debates and public discussion. One of the most important functions performed by the formal educational system is to socialize among students the values, attitudes and thought patterns and standards on which the functioning of a society should be based.

This document is organized in five sections. The first two briefly exposes different theoretical approaches to the study of natural disasters and those caused by man. In the third and fourth part, the relationship between disasters, culture and education is discussed. In the fifth section some proposals and specific suggestions are proposed to improve the contribution of the formal education system in the promotion of a culture of protection, prevention and emergency of disasters in Mexico. In the sixth, we reflect on the case of the September 2017 earthquake in Mexico (some of the most intense earthquakes of the last hundred years) and in the civil support initiatives from the education sector to support the victims who are sleeping in the streets because many houses collapsed and others have serious structural damage that makes them unsafe to be inhabited.