Andean Anthropology

Catalog description

The area studies paradigm continues to provide solid information about "culture areas," and the rich ethnography and archaeology of Andean societies is no exception. Particular strengths emerging from this literature include studies of land use, religious syncretism, textiles, and collateral themes: continuities and recognizable features of "Andean culture" ( lo andino ), gender relations, migration, and politics. Throughout, we will analyze the ways that history, ecology, and the broad notion of reciprocity ( ayni ) cross-cut each of these. The result will be a close and in-depth study of cultural practices within three Andean countries (Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia), the majority populations of which continue to be indigenous (predominantly Quechua- and Aymara-speaking). These are countries within which recent political and social changes have produced far-reaching transformations. Prerequisite: one course in either Anthropology or Classics.