Society for Applied Anthropology 69th Annual Meeting
Santa Fe, New Mexico
March 17-21, 2009
Global Challenge, Local Action: Ethical Engagement, Partnerships and Practice
Session title
Methods for understanding Andean Cultural Identity and Practices in the context of
Transnational Influence and Environmental Crisis
How do cultural traditions, practices and social interactions challenge transnational influences in ways that
contribute to community self-determination? This collection of papers examines a variety of Andean social
contexts and relevant issues – the school house, rural health system, protection of agrobiodiversity and the
environment - to explore strategies generated that reinforce cultural revitalization and continuity while
responding to effects of globalization at local levels. Presenters participated in the Center for Social Well
Being’s field school that emphasizes community participatory action research, and is located in the
Cordillera Blanca mountain range of the Callejón de Huaylas, Peru.
Key words: research methods, globalization, the Andes
Participants
Hammer, Patricia J. (Center for Social Well Being)
Organizer
Carrasco Reyes, María Magdalena (Georgia State University)
With the Environment in Mind
How does the environment influence people’s schemes and the way they understand their world? This paper
examines those characteristics of the environment that seem to shape several aspects of people’s lives. As
there are bilateral interactions between organisms and their environment, we have proposed that certain
characteristics of the environment that are more salient than others are going to play a fundamental role in
shaping people’s cognitive systems and therefore the way people interact with their environment. The place
chosen to develop and investigate these ideas further was the Callejón de Huaylas, Perú.
Key words: environment, cognition, the Andes
Skibinski, William (University of West Georgia)
Recycling, Composting and Sustainable Systems in Carhuaz
In the Andean valley of Callejón de Huaylas, I was involved in an ethnographic field school that provided a
glimpse into a society that is struggling to keep up with the ever changing and destructive forces of
modernity. While living in the Andean hamlet of Cajamarquilla, I was exposed to Andean sustainable living
and how municipal authorities desperately need cooperation from the Peruvian government, private
agencies, and the local community. My experiences and research will provide knowledge into the world of
Andean sustainable living, waste management, and composting. I will demonstrate how the recycling and
composting system of Carhuaz works, while pointing out its strengths and weaknesses.
Key words: recycling, composting, Andean sustainable living
Stepp, Pierce (Minnesota State University at Mankato)
Cooperation in the Peruvian Andes as a social response to global inequality
Current social conditions of the Peruvian Andeans are influenced heavily by the international economic
system. Because of structural adjustment policies, the Peruvian government has cut funding for health care,
education, and environmental protection, so people are left with little choice but to organize and cooperate
with one another to provide these necessary services themselves. This paper attempts to situate the local
Andean experience in the context of the national and international constraints and opportunities drawing
primarily on the authors time enrolled in a field school in the Callejon De Huaylas.
Key words: capitalism, globalization, cooperation
Hunsecker, Jennifer (University of South Florida)
Environmental education, Ancash style
Local and state efforts to educate Peruvians about environmental sustainability have manifested in the local
schoolhouse as environmental education. In order to examine student understanding of this education (and
determine the effectiveness of this type of outreach), I conducted a drawing activity with youth from two
rural schools. This paper will discuss the resulting data gathered from youth drawings, the use of children's
drawings as a participatory method, and how local efforts in Peru can be compared with attempts in the
United States and elsewhere to increase environmental stewardship through youth education.
Silverstein, Sydney (Berkeley City College)
Giving respect: Andean and Personal Values in the Rural Classroom
This presentation will focus on the retention of cultural values in the setting of a rural school house in the
Andean hamlet of Cajamarquilla. I explore how classroom curriculum, activities and responsibilities both
contribute to and draw out a sense of meaning and purpose among the youth. Using information gathered
from observations of classroom activities and interactions as well as participatory action research exercises
conducted among the youth, this analysis will examine the identification, recognition and revitalization of
local cultural values, in addition to the objectives and ideals that emerge in the face of globalization.
Key words: rural education, Andean cultural values, youth self-expression
Kalman, Rowenn (Michigan State University at Lansing)
Discussant
Barreto Tosi, Flor de María (Center for Social Well Being)
Discussant