Ethnicity, Markets, and Migration in the Andes : At the Crossroads of History and Anthropology

Until now, Andean peasants have primarily been thought of by scholars as isolated subsistence farmers, "resistant" to money and to different markets in the region. __Ethnicity, Markets, and Migration in the Andes__ overturns this widely held assumption and puts in its place a new perspective as it explores the dynamic between Andean cultural, social, and economic practices and the market forces of a colonial and postcolonial mercantile economy. Bringing together the work of outstanding scholars in Andean history, anthropology, and ethnohistory, these pioneering essays show how, from the very earliest period of Spanish rule, Andean peasants and their rulers embraced the new economic opportunities and challenged or subverted the new structures introduced by the colonial administration. They also convincingly explain why in the twentieth century the mistaken idea developed that Andean peasants were conservative and unable to participate effectively in different markets, and reveal how closely ethnic inequalities were tied to evolving market relations. Inviting a critical reconsideration of ethnic, class, and gender issues in the context of rural Andean markets, this book will revise the prevailing view of Andean history and provide a more fully informed picture of the complex mercantile activities of Andean peasants. Major Compilation Of Historical And Anthropological Articles Focuses On The Nature Of Markets And Exchange Structures In The Andes. Prominent Scholars Explore Andean Participation In The European Market Structure, The Influence Of Migration In Changing Ethnic Boundaries And Spheres Of Exchange, And The Politics Of Market Exchange During The Colonial Period. Larson's Introduction Places Articles Within The Context Of Andean Economic Systems, While Harris Concludes With An Appreciation Of The Relationships Between Mestizo And Indigenous Ethnic Identities In The Context Of Market Relations. Both Introduction And Conclusion Lend A Greater Coherence To This Carefully-crafted And Monumental Volume--handbook Of Latin American Studies, V. 57. Andean Communities, Political Cultures, And Markets : The Changing Contours Of A Field / Brooke Larson -- Did Tribute And Markets Prevail In The Andes Before The European Invasion? / John V. Murra -- The Variety And Ambiguity Of Native Andean Intervention In European Colonial Markets / Steve J. Stern -- Exchange In The Ethnic Territories Between 1530 And 1567 : The Visitas Of Huánuco And Chucuito / Carlos Sempat Assadourian -- Exchange And Markets In The Sixteenth Century : A View From The North / Susan E. Ramírez -- Indian Migration And Social Change In Seventeenth-century Charcas / Thierry Saignes -- Indians In Late Colonial Markets : Sources And Numbers / Enrique Tandeter [and Others] -- Markets, Power, And The Politics Of Exchange In Tapacarí, C. 1780 And 1980 / Brooke Larson And Rosario León -- Ethnic Calendars And Market Interventions Among The Ayllus Of Lipes During The Nineteenth Century / Tristan Platt -- The Sources And Meanings Of Money : Beyond The Market Paradigm In An Ayllu Of Northern Potosí / Olivia Harris -- Women Are More Indian : Ethnicity And Gender In A Community Near Cuzco / Marisol De La Cadena -- Ethnic Identity And Market Relations : Indians And Mestizos In The Andes / Olivia Harris. Edited By Brooke Larson And Olivia Harris, With Enrique Tandeter. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [397]-417) And Index. This book comes at the end of a long and gratifying intellectual journey.