The Social Organization of Property and Work: A Study of Migrants from the Rural Ecuadorian Sierra
Author(s)
Weiss, Wendy A.
Abstract
The point of departure for this explanation of migration is a description and comparison of the patterns of access to property and labor in two generations, the migrants’ generation and that of their parents. The author finds significant differences between the two generations and develops two points. First, changes in the mortality rate of seniors delayed the younger generation’s inheritance of land. The dependent position of the juniors limited their ability to enter into labor arrangements used by their parents. Second, development in Ecuador and the associated changes in the organization of work exacerbated the constraints of this structurally anomalous position and promoted outmigration.
