Institutional Affiliation
Nova Southeastern University
Start Date
2-11-2023 3:30 PM
End Date
2-11-2023 5:00 PM
Proposal Type
Presentation
Proposal Format
Virtual
Proposal Description
This study looks at a Mapuche cooperative (Chol-Chol) in southern Chile. The review focuses on how this woman owned and run enterprise overcomes primarily culturally ingrained indigenous biases, and how these women deal with a dominant Euro-centric culture that refuses to acknowledge them both as a distinct group within Chile and as capable and contributing members of the Chilean economy.
The study follows two specific members of the cooperative. One is the Executive Director of the organization, charged with oversight of the cooperative members, from financial accountability to negotiations, within the group and outside of the group with local municipal representatives. The second woman is a participating artisanal member, who practices her trade, creates work of art, and tries to keep a family intact.
These women were interviewed at length. Through a thematic qualitative analysis, their stories are reviewed for themes which inform us of a greater story, one of self-sacrifice, perseverance, and imagination. They speak of obstacles they have navigated for the better part of their lives. Some impediments are cultural, emanating from within the Mapuche socio-structure, others are from local citizens and municipalities, as well as from the federal government.
The Mapuche people in Chile are the largest Indigenous group. Though they can be found throughout the country, they are mostly concentrated towards the south of Chile. These are ancestral homelands, which they cherish and cultivate. They are also among the poorest citizens of the country. In major cities, from Temuco to Santiago, they (for the most part) fill jobs that no one else will do, from construction to domestic employees. Often these positions have no benefits and can end without notice.
The study connects the women of the cooperatives to three specific UN SDGs, to be discussed during the presentation.
Included in
Arts Management Commons, Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Fiber, Textile, and Weaving Arts Commons, Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons, Latin American Languages and Societies Commons, Social Influence and Political Communication Commons, Social Work Commons
Mapuche women's cooperative and sustainable development
This study looks at a Mapuche cooperative (Chol-Chol) in southern Chile. The review focuses on how this woman owned and run enterprise overcomes primarily culturally ingrained indigenous biases, and how these women deal with a dominant Euro-centric culture that refuses to acknowledge them both as a distinct group within Chile and as capable and contributing members of the Chilean economy.
The study follows two specific members of the cooperative. One is the Executive Director of the organization, charged with oversight of the cooperative members, from financial accountability to negotiations, within the group and outside of the group with local municipal representatives. The second woman is a participating artisanal member, who practices her trade, creates work of art, and tries to keep a family intact.
These women were interviewed at length. Through a thematic qualitative analysis, their stories are reviewed for themes which inform us of a greater story, one of self-sacrifice, perseverance, and imagination. They speak of obstacles they have navigated for the better part of their lives. Some impediments are cultural, emanating from within the Mapuche socio-structure, others are from local citizens and municipalities, as well as from the federal government.
The Mapuche people in Chile are the largest Indigenous group. Though they can be found throughout the country, they are mostly concentrated towards the south of Chile. These are ancestral homelands, which they cherish and cultivate. They are also among the poorest citizens of the country. In major cities, from Temuco to Santiago, they (for the most part) fill jobs that no one else will do, from construction to domestic employees. Often these positions have no benefits and can end without notice.
The study connects the women of the cooperatives to three specific UN SDGs, to be discussed during the presentation.