"The 'Devil' entering our lives": Andean peasant women in Otuzco, Peru

Date
1995
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Significant changes are occurring in the lives of the peasants in less developed countries. The spread of salaried work and the monetary markets have given rise to a great deal of discussion about the future of peasantry. This study, based on a small community in the northern Peruvian Andes, and presented within the national and regional context, documents how, where and under what conditions this process is occurring. The Strategy of the Otuzco families consists basically of out-migration of males, while the women and children remain in the country side. The analysis in this document focuses on three main elements: labour relationships, patterns of agricultural labour regarding crops and techniques, and the introduction of new productive activities. With the intrusion of the cash economy, family needs are not being met. On the contrary, the market has increased exploitation and poverty, creating new needs and pressures. A major effect of cash has been the disintegration of the family and the impoverishment of their resources. According to the women in this study, cash has been "like the 'devil' entering our lives".
Description
Bibliography: p. 141-157.
Keywords
Citation
Peredo, A. M. (1995). "The 'Devil' entering our lives": Andean peasant women in Otuzco, Peru (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/16813
Collections