Household and Class Relations: Peasants and Landlords in Northern Peru

Household and Class Relations provides a comprehensive analysis of modern peasant family relationships, exploring how households continue to exist as units of production and reproduction in the face of proletarianization and impoverishment. The book offers a regional history of Cajamarca, Peru, since the turn of the century, examining the hacienda system, agrarian capitalism, and the peasant economy. It also highlights the interaction between class and gender, arguing that the subordination of women has had high costs for rural households and how peasant households have adopted a strategy of participating in multiple income-generating activities to survive.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 384 pages
Publication date: 13 May 2022
Publisher: University of California Press

Household and Class Relations provides a comprehensive and nuanced examination of contemporary peasant family relationships. Drawing upon the perspectives of an anthropologist, sociologist, and economist, Deere offers a novel approach to the enduring question of how households persist as units of production and reproduction amidst their increasing proletarianization and impoverishment. Through the utilization of rich life histories, archival and survey research, she offers a regional history of the northern Peruvian highland province of Cajamarca since the turn of the century.

The book begins by exploring the hacienda system in the early decades of the 20th century, shedding light on its origins and evolution. It then delves into the development of agrarian capitalism in the postwar period and the peasant economy of the 1970s, providing a foundation for the subsequent analysis.

What sets Household and Class Relations apart is its focus on the interplay between class and gender. Deere argues that the subordination of women has had detrimental consequences for the well-being of rural households, exacerbating peasant poverty. Moreover, she demonstrates how peasant households have adopted a strategy of engaging in multiple income-generating activities to survive. By examining the interaction between gender relations and class relations, Deere offers a fresh perspective on social differentiation among peasants.

This groundbreaking study is sure to appeal to Latin Americanists, scholars of women's studies, and economists alike. Its broad scope and incisive insights will attract attention from various quarters. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates the University of California Press's commitment to seeking out and nurturing the brightest minds and contributing to the advancement of knowledge.

Weight: 544g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520308978