This dissertation documents and analyzes compadrazgo choice patterns in a spontaneous frontier community, Nu Pyajhu Guazu, in the interior of eastern Paraguay. The results of this work indicate that although families in Nu Pyajhu Guazu might have been expected to be making vertical fictive kin ties outside of the community, in fact, they are not. Nevertheless, individuals in Nu Pyajhu Guazu are intent upon 'maximizing' their choices economically and socially. The history of Nu Pyajhu Guazu makes this clear on an economic level. An analysis of compadrazgo choice patterns indicates this to be true socially, as well. The reasons for not making vertical fictive kin ties are linked with the history of the frontier zone and the uncertainties that are inherent in the lives of the people who inhabit the area--socially, politically, economically, and environmentally. These basic uncertainties have led to a type of behavior that has been termed 'risk-adverse' in peasant agricultural economies and I argue the same principles are also involved in compadrazgo choice practices. I also argue that there is an element of verticality in the horizontal, intra-community fictive kin preferences that are based primarily on prestige gained through proper moral behavior, personal generosity, and working for the betterment of the community as a whole, although an element of perceived economic wealth is also involved / acase@tulane.edu
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TULANE/oai:http://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/:tulane_25888 |
| Date | January 1992 |
| Contributors | Turner, Christina Bolke (Author), Edmonson, Munro S (Thesis advisor) |
| Publisher | Tulane University |
| Source Sets | Tulane University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | Access requires a license to the Dissertations and Theses (ProQuest) database., Copyright is in accordance with U.S. Copyright law |
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