Aymara Gender and Kinship. Bolivian Female Mobilities, and Political Horizons

Abstract

Abstract This article has two central objectives. First, to present a review of anthropological studies on gender and kinship in Aymara communities, focusing on the literature produced in Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Second, to review the literature on the transnational/transborder mobility of Bolivian Aymara women. We will begin by examining classic concepts of kinship and patriarchy, taking up the feminist critiques of these arguments. Then, we review the work of classic Andeanism on the Aymara worldview, gender studies in these communities, and research on the migration of Bolivian females in South America. We conclude with a review of critiques on the classic conceptions about the symbolic complementarity of the Aymara. We point out future research possibilities in opening an agenda for indigenous women leaders in Bolivia, investigating the use of the Aymara worldview as a national political platform.