In recent decades, the female Purépecha population has been drawn into wage work as a day labourer in berry fields in Michoacán, Mexico. This manifestation of globalization and the international division of labour is the reason for local economic, social, and cultural changes. The research was conducted between 2018 and 2021 using sociological and ethnographic methods. Over 50 informal interviews were conducted with indigenous women fieldworkers, their family members, intermediaries, small farmers, and migrants to get to know the context and gain views from different angles. Twenty-six in-depth semi-structured interviews aimed to find out how the living conditions had changed after women started working. The study captures the current process of transformation of the socio-cultural system with rapid changes in family organization and positive economic impacts. However, deficiencies in the areas of healthcare and social justice are also pointed out.
rural families, agro-export value chains, berries, globalization
Crespo Stupková L. (2022): Indigenous Women’s Work in Modern Agriculture. Scientia Agriculturae Bohemica, 53, 53-63. DOI: 10.7160/sab.2022.530405