ECONOMIC INEQUALITY AND AGRARIAN CONFLICT IN THE MUNICIPIO OF CUCURPE, SONORA, MEXICO.

This dissertation is an ethnography of resource control in the municipio of Cucurpe, Sonora, Mexico. The municipio itself covers 1,788 square kilometers of rugged, semi-arid terrain bisected by the San Miguel river and its tributaries. Less than one percent of the land is cultivated, the rest devote...

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Main Author: SHERIDAN, THOMAS EDWARD, III.
Other Authors: Netting, Robert
Language:en
Published: The University of Arizona. 1983
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10150/187470
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spelling ndltd-arizona.edu-oai-arizona.openrepository.com-10150-1874702015-10-23T04:34:31Z ECONOMIC INEQUALITY AND AGRARIAN CONFLICT IN THE MUNICIPIO OF CUCURPE, SONORA, MEXICO. SHERIDAN, THOMAS EDWARD, III. Netting, Robert Cronin, Constance Fontana, Bernard Reeves, Richard Land reform -- Mexico -- Cucurpe (Sonora) Peasants -- Mexico -- Cucurpe (Sonora) Social conflict -- Mexico -- Cucurpe (Sonora) This dissertation is an ethnography of resource control in the municipio of Cucurpe, Sonora, Mexico. The municipio itself covers 1,788 square kilometers of rugged, semi-arid terrain bisected by the San Miguel river and its tributaries. Less than one percent of the land is cultivated, the rest devoted to livestock raising, primarily cattle. Most Cucurpe households make their living as both ranchers and farmers. The control of land and water therefore becomes a vitally important political and economic issue. Twenty-one percent of the municipio is controlled by three peasant corporate communities--the comunidades of Cucurpe and San Javier, and the ejido 6 de Enero. The rest of the land belongs to private ranchers, many of whom are wealthy and reside outside the municipio. The dissertation focuses upon the history, structure and functions of the Cucurpe comunidad, the largest and most powerful of the three institutions, describing its role in past and present politics of resource control. Considerable economic inequality exists among Cucurpe households, not only among private ranchers and peasants, but among peasant households themselves. The range of economic inequality is ascertained, and conclusions about the relationships between inequality and the politics of resource control are drawn. It is argued that Cucurpe is composed of at least four different classes. These classes conflict and compete over two major issues: the control of grazing and arable land. Most households belonging to the corporate communities unite in opposition to private ranchers when their access to corporate rangeland is threatened. They battle each other over the status of arable land. Those with land consider it a private resource. Those without land content it belongs to the corporate communities themselves, a position supported by federal agrarian reform law. Such conflict seriously threatens the stability of these peasant organizations. 1983 text Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic) http://hdl.handle.net/10150/187470 690167143 8401272 en Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. The University of Arizona.
collection NDLTD
language en
sources NDLTD
topic Land reform -- Mexico -- Cucurpe (Sonora)
Peasants -- Mexico -- Cucurpe (Sonora)
Social conflict -- Mexico -- Cucurpe (Sonora)
spellingShingle Land reform -- Mexico -- Cucurpe (Sonora)
Peasants -- Mexico -- Cucurpe (Sonora)
Social conflict -- Mexico -- Cucurpe (Sonora)
SHERIDAN, THOMAS EDWARD, III.
ECONOMIC INEQUALITY AND AGRARIAN CONFLICT IN THE MUNICIPIO OF CUCURPE, SONORA, MEXICO.
description This dissertation is an ethnography of resource control in the municipio of Cucurpe, Sonora, Mexico. The municipio itself covers 1,788 square kilometers of rugged, semi-arid terrain bisected by the San Miguel river and its tributaries. Less than one percent of the land is cultivated, the rest devoted to livestock raising, primarily cattle. Most Cucurpe households make their living as both ranchers and farmers. The control of land and water therefore becomes a vitally important political and economic issue. Twenty-one percent of the municipio is controlled by three peasant corporate communities--the comunidades of Cucurpe and San Javier, and the ejido 6 de Enero. The rest of the land belongs to private ranchers, many of whom are wealthy and reside outside the municipio. The dissertation focuses upon the history, structure and functions of the Cucurpe comunidad, the largest and most powerful of the three institutions, describing its role in past and present politics of resource control. Considerable economic inequality exists among Cucurpe households, not only among private ranchers and peasants, but among peasant households themselves. The range of economic inequality is ascertained, and conclusions about the relationships between inequality and the politics of resource control are drawn. It is argued that Cucurpe is composed of at least four different classes. These classes conflict and compete over two major issues: the control of grazing and arable land. Most households belonging to the corporate communities unite in opposition to private ranchers when their access to corporate rangeland is threatened. They battle each other over the status of arable land. Those with land consider it a private resource. Those without land content it belongs to the corporate communities themselves, a position supported by federal agrarian reform law. Such conflict seriously threatens the stability of these peasant organizations.
author2 Netting, Robert
author_facet Netting, Robert
SHERIDAN, THOMAS EDWARD, III.
author SHERIDAN, THOMAS EDWARD, III.
author_sort SHERIDAN, THOMAS EDWARD, III.
title ECONOMIC INEQUALITY AND AGRARIAN CONFLICT IN THE MUNICIPIO OF CUCURPE, SONORA, MEXICO.
title_short ECONOMIC INEQUALITY AND AGRARIAN CONFLICT IN THE MUNICIPIO OF CUCURPE, SONORA, MEXICO.
title_full ECONOMIC INEQUALITY AND AGRARIAN CONFLICT IN THE MUNICIPIO OF CUCURPE, SONORA, MEXICO.
title_fullStr ECONOMIC INEQUALITY AND AGRARIAN CONFLICT IN THE MUNICIPIO OF CUCURPE, SONORA, MEXICO.
title_full_unstemmed ECONOMIC INEQUALITY AND AGRARIAN CONFLICT IN THE MUNICIPIO OF CUCURPE, SONORA, MEXICO.
title_sort economic inequality and agrarian conflict in the municipio of cucurpe, sonora, mexico.
publisher The University of Arizona.
publishDate 1983
url http://hdl.handle.net/10150/187470
work_keys_str_mv AT sheridanthomasedwardiii economicinequalityandagrarianconflictinthemunicipioofcucurpesonoramexico
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