Ontology of the Culture of Peace Management in General Secondary Education: A Territorial Phenomenological Look from Social Actors

Abstract

This research is inscribed in the experience of territorialization of university education, where the doctoral researcher enters the local reality to generate social transformation. The purpose was to conceive a theoretical approximation of the ontology in the management of a culture of peace in general secondary education. The relevance of the study lies in considering ontology as a means for interpreting meanings and experiences in the specific school territory. Theoretically, it was based on Echeverría's ontology of language, Galtung's peace theory, and Berger and Luckmann's social construction of reality. Methodologically, it was framed within the interpretive paradigm with a qualitative approach, using Van Manen's Pedagogical Phenomenological method. Four key informants (teachers and guardians) from the territory participated. The techniques were participant observation and in-depth interviews. The findings revealed four macro-themes: Ontological Reality, Culture of Peace, Management of Culture of Peace, and Essence of Being. It concludes with a Phenomenological Text postulating that the achieved social transformation begins with the recognition of "being" and territorial identity, fostering social dialogue and non-violence through collaborative action, transcending administrative regulations to become an institutional lifestyle.