Between chaos and calm: perception of the urban and the rural in contemporary life life

Abstract

This research aimed to explore the symbolic and emotional perceptions that university students in Peru associate with urban and rural spaces in the contemporary context. A mixed-method approach was used: a survey was administered to 207 participants in 2025, where they selected representative images of rural and urban environments. Participatory workshops were organized to delve deeper into their discourses. The data were processed qualitatively using thematic analysis. The results revealed a clearly differentiated perception between urban and rural environments. Rural spaces were valued as a symbol of ecological harmony, psychosocial well-being, and connection with nature, associated with landscapes with low population density, architecture adapted to the environment, and traditional productive activities. In contrast, urban spaces were linked to congestion, stress, and environmental degradation. This dichotomy revealed territorial tensions and a critique of the dominant urbanization model. In conclusion, a discursive construction was identified that reclaims rural spaces as idealized, ecologically balanced, and culturally significant territories.