Their Relationship with the Western World

Impacts of Westernization and Media Framing on the Quechua People

by Alonso Abugattas

Westernization

Etic Approach• What westernization does with the Quechua

according to their…– Socio-political structure?– Social subsistence methods?– Religious beliefs?– Education system?• Language?

– Social relationships? (kinship, gender…).

Effects in Quechua Socio-Political Structure

• Assimilation of Western model of political administration.– Assignation of communal

mayors.• Ayllu representative

(imitiating curaca role).

– Insertion in regional governments.

Effects in Social Subsistence Methods• Traditional:

– Self subsistence economical production (Kalman, 1994).• Kinship-based.

– Families.

• Use of traditional techniques.– Pastoralism– Horticulture

– Reciprocity:• Exchange of goods (Parker,1997)• Flowed between generalized and balanced.• Also kinship based

– Generalized: Intrafamiliar.– Balanced: Interfamiliar.

• Changes:– Assimilation of Western economic models:

• Use of nation-state currency.• Exportation of goods product of pastoralism and horticulture.

– Insertion in nation-state capitalist market.

Effects in Quechua’s Religious Beliefs

• Given by historical reasons:– Repression of Andean beliefs by Spaniards.– Migration from villages to cities (Cumbira University, 2007). – Decentralization of religion.

• Pre-Columbian-Catholic syncretism (Advameg, 2007).– Assimilation of Catholic beliefs and moral principles.

• Hanan Pacha/Ukhu Pacha (Heaven and Hell).• Apu/Catholic saint syncretism.

– Syncretism of traditional forms of celebration with and Catholic holidays.• Carnavales (patronal festivals).• Takanakuy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKjSyZhIIiw (Morton, 2012).

– Preservation of Andean beliefs from pre-Columbian eras.• Dualism.• Division of the World (Pachas).• Ceremonies.

Effects in Education

• Key component: Quechua Language.– Loss of Quechua-speaking people (Safley, 2011).• Only 19, 25 and 23% of total population speak Quechua

in Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia respectively (Cerron-Palomino, 1987).

– Quechua-Spanish cross-linguistic influence (Manley, 2012).• Creation of Spanish jargon by insertion of Quechua

words.– Pucho, Chomba, Concho.

Effects in Education

• Assimilation of Western models of formal education.– Dependency on public schools.– Aim towards seeking superior education in public

universities in cities.• Centralization of education.

– Enculturation of Spanish by formal educational system.• Quechua language enculturation by families.

Effects in Social Relationships

• Gender– Workforce balance.

• Migration due to economical and educational centralization.

– Decrease in feminine subordination• Primary authoritarian figure for children in family.

• Kinship– Family

• Predominance of patrilineal descent.• Incorporation of surname of women in their offspring.

– Marriage, Sex, Love• Acculturation of Western ideals of romantic love.• Dependence on religious ideals.• “Madonna-whore” complex incorporation.

Media Framing

• Pejorative framing of Quechua people.– Clash of interests with transnational corporations.

• Seemed as “retrograde” people.• “Go against the progress of the nation state”

– Conga case in Cajamarca, Peru.

• Conflictive.

– Depicted as submissive, compliant people.• Due to compliance of Inca forefathers to Spaniard control.

• Beneficial framing from tourist media. (Erkenbrack, 2011).– “People rich in culture”.– “Hospitable people”.– Rather seen as victims of nation-state conflicts than

perpetrators.• Peruvian Civil War 1980’s.

References• Jermyn, Leslie

Peru

Milwaukee, Wisc.: Gareth Stevens, 1998.• Prayer. SIM

Go Serve. 2013http://www.sim.org/index.php/content/quechua (accessed

March 9, 2013).• Kalman, Bobbie

Peru: The People and CultureNew York: Crabtree Publishing Company, 1994.

• Parker, Edward. Peru

Austin, Tex.: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1997.

References• Safley, Mike

«The Quechua People: An Abandoned Race.» Northwest Alpacas. 2011 http://www.alpacas.com/AlpacaLibrary/QuechuaAbandonedRace.as px (accessed March 11, 2013).• Advameg, Inc.

Countries and Their Cultures: Quechua. February 4, 2007. http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Norway-to-Russia/Quechua.html (accessed March 11, 2013).• Cumbria University

The Religion of the Quechua. January 23, 2013. http://www.philtar.ac.uk/encyclopedia/latam/quech.html (accessed March 11, 2013).• . Performed by Thomas Morton

Fist Fighting on Christmas: A Peruvian Tradition.Directed by Vice.2012.

References• Cerrón-Palomino, Rodolfo

(1987) Lingüística Quechua Cuzco, Peru: Centro Bartolomé de las Casas.

• Manley, Marilyn SCross-Linguistic Influence of the Cuzco Quechua Epistemic System on Andean Spanish

Electronic essay, Rowan: Rowan University, 2012.

• Erkenbrack, ElizabethThe Mobilization of Quechua as an Ethnocommodity

Electronic essay, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 2011.