Volver a Nuestras Raíces: The Reemergence and Adaptation of Traditional Forms of Andean Reciprocity

Abstract

R e s u m e n Este manuscrito es inspirado por la investigación etnográfica del mantenimiento de las instituciones de propiedad común y redes de apoyo social en una pequeña comunidad quechua en el altiplano en el sur de Perú. Campesinos deben instituir los programas de cría y plantar y cultivar cosechas y otros trabajos de mantenimiento. Además de la acción colectiva, la mayoría de las casas tienen su propio jardín y rebaño que requieren el apoyo de otros hogares. El uso de la teoría del capital simbólico y modelos de castigo indirecto, explico cómo formas modificadas de ayni y minga trabajan en conjunto para resolver el problema de parasitismo en una pequeña comunidad de pastores de los Andes. En la exploración de esta intersección convincente de grupo y la cooperación diádica, describiré la acción colectiva y redes de apoyo social en la comunidad, y consideraré sus paralelismos con la reciprocidad andina tradicional. [Andes, ecologia, Peru] A b s t r a c tThis article is inspired by ethnographic research on the maintenance of common property institutions and social support networks among a small Quechua agropastoralist community in the altiplano of southern Peru. Campesinos must come together often in order to institute breeding programs, plant and harvest crops, and so on for the communal herds and gardens. In addition to this collective action, most households have their own garden and herd, which require support from other households. Using symbolic capital theory and models of indirect punishment, I explain how modified forms of ayni and minga work in concert to solve the free riding problem in a small Andean herding community. In exploring this compelling intersection of group and dyadic

Social adaptive responses to a harsh and unpredictable environment: insights from a pre-Hispanic andean society

“…A clear and unique pattern of room, patio, and granaries for all residential units, the homogeneity of building techniques, the absence of remarkable monuments, and of particular sectors (Moore 1996), all show a weak architectural differentiation. Furthermore, the contiguity of the constructions with common movement spaces between the household units strongly suggests a coordination in their construction, or even a collective work (minka) or reciprocal exchange of labor (ayni), two practices still frequently observed in the Andean region (Lyle 2017). The presence of some isolated granaries could correspond to the collective food storage for cults and celebrations, a common practice in pre-Hispanic societies.…”

“…For fairly stable environments, Mattison et al (2016) elaborate on an evolutionary model predicting persistent wealth inequality in small-scale societies. Yet, for harsher environments, collective action and reduced social inequalities appear crucial for the equitable and sustainable access to natural resources in smallscale communities (Lyle andSmith 2014, Paul et al 2016).…”

Trajectories of Vulnerability of Rural Territories in the Ecuadorian Andes: a Comparative Analysis

“…Moreover, a large mobility of individuals allowed them to take advantage of the potential of several ecological levels and thus to achieve their subsistence (Murra, 1975, Oberem, 1981. Their social organization, built on mutual aid (Mayer, 2002;Ferraro, 2004;Lyle 2017), was also decisive for going beyond the constraints of the mountain environment by promoting reciprocal exchanges of work or the cultivation of collective spaces that had positive effects on agricultural production (Alberti and Mayer ,1974;Lyle and Smith 2014;Walsh-Dilley, 2017). However, from the sixteenth century onward, the control of the indigenous populations by the colonial authority led to the displacement of rural labor for work in mines and haciendas.…”

Fortalecer los colectivos campesinos en los Andes ecuatorianos. Análisis desde las provincias de Chimborazo y Cotopaxi

“…E n las últimas décadas, varios estudios señalaron que las relaciones de solidaridad y de reciprocidad constituían históricamente la base del funcionamiento social de las comunidades campesinas andinas (Alberti y Mayer 1974;Mayer 2002;Ferraro, 2004;Lyle 2017). Otros trabajos indicaron, además, que la colaboración entre agricultores, por el medio de intercambios de trabajo o de tareas colectivas, tenía efectos positivos sobre la producción agrícola y la seguridad alimentaria de los hogares rurales (Martínez 2002;Lyle y Smith 2014;Walsh-Dilley 2017).…”