The objective of the research is to recognize the construction of identity through the aesthetics of clothing in students from two Colombian institutions; To this end, it was based on the approaches of critical interculturality. Methodologically, this was a qualitative, applied, descriptive study, based on educational action research, in which the sample was composed of 15 students, to whom a questionnaire and a focus group were applied. Among the results, it was found that the influence of friends is a determining factor for the construction of identity and adoption of hooper clothing in the students of the Baja IE Forester; While in the case of the students of CEI N° 10 Warawarao, family influence is the main conditioning factor in the construction of identity and in the adoption of their clothes.

Keywords: construction of identity, hip-hop culture, wayuu culture, figurine aesthetics, critical interculturality

Identity is one of the pillars on which an individual's personality is based. It synthesizes preferences, affiliations and attitudes towards life, but also the sense of belonging or the need to be accepted within a group or community. According to De La Torre¹ having an identity is a necessity for the whole person, since this leads him or her to identify with a style that will determine, to a large extent, his or her values ​​and attitude towards life. According to this author, social sciences approach identity from two perspectives: one individual, particular to each being, and another collective, which is the face that is transmitted to the outside, also being a scaffolding to be accepted.

Toribio and Álvarez² consider that adolescence and the beginning of adulthood mark a period of existence where the need to reflect identity becomes palpable and goes beyond convictions to be reflected in clothing, the accessories that accompany the clothing and even the colors that are prevalent in each person. For these authors, fashion largely determines the collective identity to which the subject adheres, which shows their level of propensity to elements such as marketing or mass culture that affect the construction of their individual identity or their criteria.

Based on the above considerations, for the purposes of this research, the construction of identity is addressed from the aesthetics of clothing, starting from two different and, to a certain extent, contrasting Colombian contexts. The first of these is evident in the IED Arborizadora Baja, located in the city of Bogotá, which serves students belonging (for the most part) to the national majority society and classified in strata 2 and 3, which means that, despite economic limitations, they have access to the Internet, as well as other comforts and services of urban life.

The other scenario is given by the students of the Wayuu School of the CEI 10 Warawao headquarters, which is located in the rural area of ​​the municipality of Maicao in the department of La Guajira and which serves students belonging entirely to the Wayuu ethnic group, located in stratum 1, which denotes a low income level and in a geographical context where some basic public services as elementary as drinking water or electricity are not accessible or are offered with deficiency and irregularity. 

In both scenarios, it is observed that identity is subject to the students' attire, especially those in the 7^th and 8^th grades of basic secondary education, who were selected for the purposes of this research. In the case of the 8^th  grade students of the IED Arborizadora Baja, the aesthetics of the clothing is strongly influenced by the hip hop culture, prevalent in some neighborhoods and popular sectors of the city. In this sense, baggy clothes, caps (generally worn backwards), as well as the use of pants (in boys) well below the waist, denote musical preferences and a style inspired by street life, as well as based on rhythms such as Rap, Reggaeton and, more recently, Trap. 

Thus, it can be observed that in both scenarios there is a construction of identity reflected in the aesthetics of the clothing, in which the adolescents belonging to the Bogotá institution build their identity referents from hip hop culture, while, in the case of the Wayuu students, transculturation leads them to emulate the styles of the majority society of the country. These are, then, two contrasting realities that show the multiethnic and pluricultural character of Colombia and give rise to a comparative study that analyzes the construction of a group identity from the aesthetics of the clothing.

The background review takes into account undergraduate theses and scientific articles, located through the search engines: SciELO, Redalyc and Google Scholar, introducing as search descriptors: cultural identity, wardrobe aesthetics, Hip Hop culture, Wayuu culture. In this way, the works of Andrade et al.,³ Rivera,⁴ Medina,⁵ Acevedo,⁶ Patiño,⁷ Montes et al.,⁸ Rodríguez,⁹ Vergara,¹⁰ Tabares¹¹ and Barrera,¹² raise a series of theories around the construction of identity based on a person's experiences and how clothing unconsciously reflects what the subject has experienced and their perception of the surrounding environment.

For the purposes of this research, the qualitative approach was chosen, which is considered by Álvarez and Martín² as one that is based on a set of flexible methods and procedures, based on the in-depth analysis and interpretation of the phenomenon studied. From this perspective, the study is classified as an educational action research (IAE), which aims to intervene (based on pedagogical knowledge) in an educational reality, in order to create a proposal that, in addition to solving the manifest pedagogical weaknesses, serves to generate theoretical-practical knowledge, applicable to other institutions that show a similar situation.¹³

The population of a research is represented by a finite or infinite set of subjects (or analysis units) that have a series of common elements or characteristics that make it relevant to collect information and draw conclusions about the problem investigated.¹⁴ Based on these assertions, for the purposes of this research the population will be made up of 7th grade students (section 701) of CEL N° 10 Warawarao Campus and 8^th grade students of IED Arborizadora Baja (Section 801).

The sample, in the case of CEL N° 10 Warawarao Campus, the 5 students constitute 25% of the population. Due to the difficulty that an odd number represents, it was decided to select 3 women vs 2 men, since the Wayuu girls and adolescents are the ones who follow with greater rigor the traditional aesthetics of the clothing of this ethnic group (the Wayuu blanket), which in turn is part of their uniform. In the case of the IED Arborizadora Baja, despite having an even number in the sample, 6 men vs 4 women were chosen, because boys are the most likely to adopt Hip Hop clothing and although many of the girls prefer this music, few are those who adopt clothing that identifies them as part of that urban subculture.

Taking into consideration what Arias¹⁴ said, data collection techniques are all those pre-established means that the researcher can use to collect information related to his object of study, which for the present research are the survey, the focused group and the field diary. 

The survey: according to the considerations of Anguita et al.,¹⁵ it consists of a set of procedures pre-established within the methodological paradigm, which allow the researcher to collect a series of data through closed questions that are asked to the informant subjects that constitute the selected sample. For the purposes of this study, the questionnaire was structured from 10 closed questions that investigate the sociodemographic aspects of the selected sample of students from the IED Arborizadora Baja and the CEI N° 10 Warawarao campus.

The focus group: according to the indications of Rodas and Pacheco,¹⁶ the focus group is formed from a group of individuals selected by the researcher who will be asked a series of general open questions related to the research topic. In the particular scenario of the present study, the focus group was formed from 6 questions that address aspects related to identity, musical preferences, as well as clothing trends.

The field diary: for Luna et al.,¹⁷ it is a data collection technique based on the recording of significant events that allow the researcher to keep a sequence of the different aspects that revolve around their topic of study. For this purpose, it was structured based on a format in which a description is requested based on 5 observation criteria that include: the perceived activities; the characteristics of the environment; the adaptation of the school uniform to particular trends; the clothing they wear when outside the school environment and the relationship that could be developing between the construction of their identity and the aesthetics of the clothing.

Following Martí's¹⁸ indications, educational action research is made up of a series of steps that, in the development of this research, followed sequentially the phases provided for in this methodology, namely:

Pre-research stage: This was carried out by observing the reality present in the two institutions and establishing some assumptions that led the researcher to consider that the process of identity construction in the adolescents of each of these centers could be conditioned by the way they dress and the music they prefer.

Diagnostic stage: This was carried out by individually analyzing the elements that make up the cultural identity and the aesthetics of the clothing of the students of the two schools. Based on the initial observations and the review of the state of the art, it was possible to form the statement of the problem, the objectives and the justification of this research.

Programming stage: the background information was established, and then the theoretical framework, conceptual framework and legal framework of the research were created. To achieve this goal, a documentary review was carried out, which was complemented with field work to understand the sociocultural reality present in both institutions. Finally, the analysis of these was carried out.

Conclusions and proposal stage: this was accomplished by applying the questionnaire that allowed for the sociocultural characterization of both educational contexts; conducting the focus group to delve into the aspects on which identity is built in students and implementing the field diary where the elements that make up the aesthetics of clothing in students from both educational settings are described.

Post-research stage: direct contact is maintained with the teachers of the social area of ​​both educational centers in order to verify the relevance of the designed booklets and the recommendations they provide for their greater effectiveness.

For Hernández et al.,¹⁹ the analysis of the results is the stage of the research in which the qualitative or quantitative data collected from the application of the instruments are processed, in order to identify in the responses provided the aspects inherent to the categories of study in the particular context of the research. Considering these observations, the results obtained with the implementation of the three data collection instruments are presented below, namely: the survey, the focus group and the field diary.

In a first aspect, the characterization process was carried out by filling out a survey, where 5 students from the 7th grade of the Wayuu School of the CEI 10 Warawarao headquarters in La Guajira and 10 students from the 8th grade of the IED Arborizadora Baja in Bogotá, who answered questions about their family, economic, demographic, social and community context; in order to recognize their main sociocultural characteristics in the educational field.

In this way, the students of both institutions have a very similar age range and economic stratum. However, significant differences are evident with regard to musical tastes, the way of dressing and even the way of expressing themselves, being able to verify a greater lexical fluency and spontaneity in the students of Bogotá. When inquiring about their ethnic self-perception, it was confirmed that a good part of the students of the IED Arborizadora Baja do not feel identified with any ethnic group (not even with that of the majority society of the country), while a significant percentage of students of the CEI N° 10 do perceive themselves as Wayuus and are clear about their linguistic and cultural differences with the other ethnic groups of the department and the country, in addition to establishing internal differences within their own ethnic group, associated with the community in which they reside.

At the IED Arborizadora Baja, only a minority group perceives itself as hoopers, which leads them to adopt clothing and musical preferences that correspond to this musical genre. The majority of the students of the aforementioned institution do not identify with this tendency, although many like this musical genre and eventually use that type of clothing. In the case of the Wayuu students, there is no notion of what an urban culture is, nor is there a relationship between musical preferences and lifestyle, since, in their rural context, differences are established by belonging to a particular community, despite the fact that it is located in the same municipality (in this case Maicao).

However, with regard to musical preferences, marked differences could be observed between both groups, since in the case of the students from the IED Arborizadora Baja, the predominant taste is for rap and other urban rhythms associated with hip-hop culture, while in the case of the Wayuu students, the trends revolve around vallenato music and those rhythms that they hear in their immediate environment such as champeta and reggaeton.

Other aspects in which differences were noted have to do with socio-productive activities. Although in both scenarios the informal economy predominates as a means of subsistence, for the students of CEI N° 10 the planting and grazing activities carried out by their parents (and in which they eventually participate) are not classified as informal work, while, for the students of IED Arborizadora Baja, there is a clear differentiation between salaried work and that which their parents carry out on their own account. 

Wayuu students recognize that their clothing is linked to their cultural values. They also establish differences between their way of dressing and the clothing of Western culture, which is used by men, most of the time. In the case of the Hooper students, there is also full awareness that their clothing defines their identity based on the loose clothing and accessories that make up an outfit of an unbridled and urban character.

On the other hand, for the 7^th grade students of CEI N° 10, clothing is an element that defines their identity, but it is not as rooted in their self-perception as Wayuus as other elements, including their mother tongue, belonging to a clan (eiruku), their traditions and rituals, as well as their worldview. The influence of parents and maternal uncles is fundamental in the construction of the identity of these adolescents, who show a greater attachment to previous generations than their peers at the IED Arborizadora Baja. 

In the case of the 8th grade students at the IED Arborizadora Baja, the construction of identity occurs through the relationship with peers, so the adoption of the hooper style is only one of the possible variants that can be experienced. In the case of the students selected for the focus group, the adoption of this style allows them to establish new links with other children who follow the same tendency, developing common references, as well as a particular form of expression that is reflected in their conversations.

The focus group was conducted with three girls and two boys from the 7^th grade of CEI No. 10, whose ages range from 12 to 14, as well as six boys and four girls from the 8th grade of IED Arborizadora Baja, between the ages of 13 and 15. Table 1 is presented below with a summary of the responses provided, accompanied by the respective coding given to each response, which will serve as the basis for the analysis based on the categories: clothing aesthetics; cultural identity; Wayuu culture; and hip-hop culture.

To carry out the participant observation, a field diary was kept based on a series of questions related to the activities, environment and clothing of the students. To do so, two key moments were taken into consideration. The first was an activity related to the day of ethnic and cultural diversity (October 12) at CEI No. 10, in which exhibitions and typical dances of the Wayuu culture were held. The second observation was carried out at the IED Arborizadora Baja on October 20 on the occasion of a talent festival coordinated by the institution's arts teacher (Table 2, 3).

The application of various data collection instruments allowed us to have a broad perspective of the phenomenon studied, understanding that in the case of the Wayuu students, in the 7^th grade of the CEI N° 10, Warawarao headquarters, the prevailing clothing aesthetic is the blanket for girls, as well as pants with polo shirts for boys, in addition to Waireña sandals. In the case of cultural activities, boys use the Wayuuco or short garment typical of this community and girls use a red blanket, as well as a scarf that covers their head. On special occasions (celebrations) not associated with their culture, both boys and girls tend to use Western clothing appropriate for their age.

For their part, the 8th grade students at the IED Arborizadora Baja use elements of the hooper culture with caps, chains, rings and sports shoes of recognized brands, which stand out in their school uniform. In informal contexts that do not warrant the use of the uniform, hooper outfits are used, characterized by loose clothing, excessive use of chains and accessories, caps and sunglasses (even when they are not necessary). Students who do not belong to this urban culture may occasionally wear outfits that resemble this community or the typical clothing of a Western teenager, evidencing different types of brands that denote their purchasing power or their desire to be fashionable.²⁰

The construction of identity is a complex, individual and multifactorial process, where in addition to clothing, social, political, economic and cultural factors intervene that are beyond the scope of this research. However, based on the categories addressed for this research, it was possible to verify that both groups assume identity as an internal process that occurs with the recognition of their concerns, connections and particular preferences; but also, from an external aspect that is manifested in clothing, customs, language and traditions, which allow them to build common references with those who have a similar perception of the world.

Regarding the aesthetics of the clothing, it is important to mention that the 7th grade students of CEI N° 10 Warawarao headquarters are familiar with three types of attire: the first of them is their school uniform, which follows the trends of traditional Wayuu clothing due to the ethno-educational nature of the institution. However, this is more noticeable in women, who wear their blanket as part of their school attire, while men have a more westernized clothing, which is the result of the Wayuus replacing their traditional Wayuuco with pants and shirts made of fresh fabrics that provide them with comfort and formality at the same time. 

The second type of clothing is used for cultural or social activities of great importance and strictly adheres to ancestral dress patterns. Therefore, boys must wear the wayuuco, a woven hat and waireña sandals; while girls must wear blankets (preferably red), a headscarf and waireña sandals; in addition to adorning their face with symbols alluding to the wayuu culture. Generally, this type of costume is used when students are going to dance the yonna as part of the cultural outreach activities of the center and once these events are over, they generally replace their clothing.

The third attire of the Wayuu students is that which they use in social situations that are not linked to their culture (parties, dances, bazaars, etc.) and in which they like to look elegant and informal. Therefore, they use Western attire like any other young person in the country. This is characterized by the use of jeans, polo shirts, and sneakers (for boys); while in the case of girls, short dresses, shorts or lycra, sneakers or boots, among others, are seen.

Moving on to the case of the 8th grade students at the Arborizadora IED, it can be seen that two types of clothing prevail: the first is the school uniform, which is worn by some students in strict adherence to what is established by the institution: a plaid skirt for girls and blue dress pants and a white shirt for boys. However, some of them modify it according to their particular tendencies, using larger sizes to give the impression of looseness in their clothing or including chains, rings and sports shoes of styles and colors that the institution does not accept. Although this is more evident in boys, some girls feel impacted by this attire in their peers. 

In informal activities organized by the institution and where it is allowed to go without a uniform, many of the boys wear hooper outfits, which does not mean that they are linked to this culture, but rather that they follow a fashion trend reflected on television or social networks. Those who do adhere to this culture are characterized by baggy outfits, sweatshirts below the hip, the use of chains that stick out of the polo shirt or T-shirt, in addition to the characteristic caps or hats. Some girls who follow this trend tend to be more discreet, but they also wear baggy outfits, ripped jeans and T-shirts that they usually cover with jackets. They also tend to wear girls' caps or balaclavas.

None.

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