Isolation, Integration, and Ethnic Boundaries in Rural Guatemala

PWP-CCPR-2002-007

Abstract

The Guatemalan Indigenous population is engaged in a process of ethnic reorganization that closely parallels that of contemporary American Indians. We investigate the consequences of this process on the use of two key ethnic boundary markers for women -- dress and language use – using data from a 1995 social survey. The results show that social isolation and education are key factors in knowledge and use of Indigenous languages. By contrast, use of Indigenous dress does not vary substantially based on individual characteristics. Use of Indigenous dress, but not language, may reflect a pragmatic accommodation to social change.