Alpacas, Sheep, and Men: The Wool Export Economy and Regional Society in Southern Peru investigates the response of the Sicuani region in southern Peru to the wool export economy and its consequent integration into the nation-state in the late nineteenth century. The book traces the economic and political conflicts engendered by the export economy, such as those between landlords and peasants in the countryside and landlords versus traders in town. It also examines how these conflicts shaped the metamorphosis of a closed, isolated, localized society into an open one and its incorporation into national politics as well as global economics. Comprised of 11 chapters, this book begins with a review of the theories of modernization and dependency, followed by a discussion on the development of the world market for wool and the component elements of the wool economy of the entire southern Peru. Subsequent chapters focus on the regional society in more detail, with emphasis on the concept of region and the economic activities of different sectors; variation in forms of land tenure and labor relations in two provinces; the relations among herders, peasants, and artisans; and regional politics. The three major groups of artisans and workers in the region who use wool are considered, namely, urban furriers, textile mill workers, and rural weavers. The book concludes with an analysis of the fundamental importance of the wool export economy in the Sicuani region using the sectorial model. This monograph should be of interest to students and anthropologists.
Lines in the Water is both an unusually thoughtful book and a major contribution to the discussion on 'sustainable development.'"—James Ferguson, author of Expectations of Modernity "Ben Orlove knows the cultural communities and landscapes of Lake Titicaca like the back of his hand, but relates them to an entire body of literature about lake-dwelling cultures. His thematic approach to mountains, water, names and other elements of the Titicaca environs makes for rich reading and provocative debate. This book takes the field of political ethno-ecology to heights never before imagined by other practitioners."—Gary Nabhan, author of Cultures of Habitat and Coming Home to Eat "In this illuminating account of life around Lake Titicaca, Ben Orlove draws on his curiosity and experience to offer the reader a rich sense of places, voices, sights, and even pathways. Combining descriptions of everyday practices and history, political and economic forces, and personal memories, he provides an insightful ethnography, an imaginative achievement, and a fine read."—Stephen Gudeman, author of The Anthropology of Economy "A brave, accessible, and often lyrical account of Lake Titicaca and its people's successful struggle to manage their own resources. Orlove wears his deep learning lightly: a pleasure to read."—James C. Scott, Yale University
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