Espacio y territorio en perspectiva antropológica. El caso de los purhépechas de Nurío y Michoacán en México.
Espacio y territorio en perspectiva antropológica. El caso de los purhépechas de Nurío y Michoacán en México.
Authors
Authors
Date
2015-01-11
Datos de publicación:
Keywords
Etnicidad - Territorio - Antropología política - Antropología
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Abstract
En este artículo se analizan algunas perspectivas teóricas en torno a las categorías de territorio y
espacio en contextos indígenas. Se trata de un análisis que intenta revisar las perspectivas tradicionales
que vinculan territorio, práctica política y etnicidad en contextos indígenas. El problema es abordado en
la perspectiva de la antropología política y la geografía del territorio, y toma como ejemplo el caso de los
purhépechas de Michoacán en México. El desarrollo de este caso es relevante para la temática del territorio,
pues Michoacán y lo purhépechas han sido un verdadero “laboratorio” de la antropología mexicana y
norteamericana para aplicar conceptos y enfoques como “estudios de área”, “regiones de refugio” o “región
indígena”. Por ello, es pertinente un análisis que permita revisar y cuestionar los supuestos que han estado
a la base de dichas categorizaciones a partir de una perspectiva más centrada en los sujetos y sus formas de
vivir y representar el espacio y el territorio.
This article analyses some theoretical perspectives about the categories of territory and space in indigenous contexts. To do this it attempts to review the traditional perspectives which link territory, political practice and ethnicity in indigenous contexts. The problem is addressed from the perspective of political anthropology and territorial geography, and takes as an example the case of the Purhépechas of Michoacán in Mexico. The development of this case is important for the subject of territory, since Michoacán and the Purhépechas have been a real “laboratory” of Mexican and North American anthropology for the application of concepts and focuses such as “area studies”, “refuge regions” or “indigenous regions”. This accounts for the relevance of an analysis which reviews and questions the assumptions which have been at the base of these categorisations, starting from a perspective which is more centred on the subjects, their way of life, and how they represent space and territory.
This article analyses some theoretical perspectives about the categories of territory and space in indigenous contexts. To do this it attempts to review the traditional perspectives which link territory, political practice and ethnicity in indigenous contexts. The problem is addressed from the perspective of political anthropology and territorial geography, and takes as an example the case of the Purhépechas of Michoacán in Mexico. The development of this case is important for the subject of territory, since Michoacán and the Purhépechas have been a real “laboratory” of Mexican and North American anthropology for the application of concepts and focuses such as “area studies”, “refuge regions” or “indigenous regions”. This accounts for the relevance of an analysis which reviews and questions the assumptions which have been at the base of these categorisations, starting from a perspective which is more centred on the subjects, their way of life, and how they represent space and territory.