An empirical analysis of Living Well (Buen Vivir) among indigenous peoples in Latin America and the Caribbean: systematic review.

BACKGROUND: There is extensive scientific debate regarding ancestral knowledge of Living Well (Buen Vivir) in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), with potential policy ramifications. The debate is positioned as a decolonial response and concerns situated knowledge as opposed to the developmentalist, extractivist and anthropocentric ideas that dominate in various neoliberal LAC States. OBJECTIVE: The basis for this article is a systematic review of scientific articles that empirically analyse Living Well in LAC, guided by the following questions: In which countries and indigenous communities has this topic been researched? Which have been the main methodologies used? Have they been participative in nature? Which dimensions of Living Well have studies most frequently examined? METHODS: The SALSA methodology (Search, AppraisaL, Synthesis and Analysis) was used to carry out the systematic literature review. The Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, Dialnet, SciELO and PubMed bibliography databases were selected to search and identify relevant literature. RESULTS: The results show 57 studies, led by Colombia (13) and Ecuador (12), mainly based on qualitative research (49), with a limited number using participative methodologies (10). This review includes 58 indigenous peoples, with the most extensively studied being the Quechua/Kichwa/Kiwcha people (16). CONCLUSION: The underlying dimensions can be grouped into: nature and territory; community organisation; health and holistic wellbeing; intergenerational care and gender roles; and indigenous and intercultural training and education. Although not constituting an independent dimension, several studies also explored the values and principles underpinning Living Well across these thematic area.