Development and economic change are often seen as destructive to
the family and to other traditional forms of social organization.
Wilk's study of household ecology reveals that the Kekchi Maya of
Belize have responded by creating new forms of family organization,
working together to face challenges posed by development. Not
merely survivors of an ancient splendor, the Kekchi Maya build upon
their rich heritage to approach such problems as ethnic strife and
rainforest destruction as creative agents.
Wilk combines a wealth of detail on agricultural calendars,
hunting practices, land tenure, and labor exchanges in a general
interpretation of cultural and ecological transformation. He
provides a comprehensive analysis of how tropical farmers survive
in the difficult rainforest environment, tracing the ingenuity and
adaptability of Mayan culture. Fully incorporating the historical
context of ecological processes, he documents the importance of
household organization in shaping the trajectory of ecological
change and shows how delicate this adaptation can be. Analyzing
household response to localized economic and ecological settings,
Wilk argues that the transformation of the rural economy and of
Maya culture proceeds through the conjunction of global and local
processes.
The Kekchi refuse to fit into the models of economic evolution
set forth in existing scholarship. This sensitive and well-written
study challenges current orthodoxies about economic and social
change and suggests new approaches to rural development and
household ecology.
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