Ethnopolities in Ecuador explores the rise of a vigorous contemporary indigenous movement in Ecuador, tracking the political and social transformations it has generated. Funding for bilingual literacy programs, participation in local and national politics after centuries of exclusion, and expanded protection for the rights of a growing number of self-identified members are among the movement's most important successes. By securing a voice in the political system while maintaining cultural distinctiveness, the indigenous mobilization in Ecuador has challenged traditional concepts of the nation-state and democracy. Selverston-Scher concludes that democracy actually is stengthened when a nation recognizes indigenous rights and affirms its diversity, instead of empbasizing cultural homogeneity. Based on in-depth case studies and field observations, as well as literature in political science, history, and sociology, her work presents Ecuador's positive experience with ethnopolitics as a possible model for other multiethnic political systems.

Contenido: Foxes and lions : studying the upper classes -- Constructing identities : the 2001 national census -- Economy, etiquette, and ethnicity : defining Ecuadorian elites -- The Mestizo and the "other" : ethnic narratives in Ecuador -- The port and mestizaje : ethnic narratives in Guayaquil -- Learning mestizaje : ethnic narratives in Quito -- Ethnic narratives and socioeconomic development -- Responsibility and change.

The South American country of Ecuador provides a fascinating case study for understanding the construction and emergence of race and ethnic identities. While themes of ethnic identities, indigeneity, and race relations are commonly examined in our respective disciplines, it is less common to bring together essays with from scholars from such a broad variety of disciplines. The papers collected in this volume provide an opportunity to explore indigeneity in comparative perspective with the rest of the region, as well as to highlight the historically important but understudied Afro-Ecuadorian perspectives. The essays in this volume break out of the common tropes and themes that scholars typically employ in their studies of race and ethnicity in Ecuador. In examining Afro-Ecuadorians and Indigenous peoples through the lens of politics, culture, religion, gender, and environmental concerns, we come to a better understanding of the problems and promises facing this country. These essays convey a large diversity of perspectives, disciplines, and issues that reflect the richness and complexities of the social processes that are present in Ecuador.

Based on her field research there in the early 1990s, Selverston- Scher tells how the native people of the South American country are creating opportunities for themselves and offering alternative models for modern industrial society. She chose Ecuador because of the great impact the indigenous movement has had on the country. Distributed by Lynne Rienner Publishers. c. Book News Inc.

In the past decade, Ecuador has seen five indigenous uprisings, the emergence of the powerful Pachakutik political movement, and the strengthening of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador and the Association of Black Ecuadorians, all of which have contributed substantially to a new constitution proclaiming the country to be “multiethnic and multicultural.” Furthermore, January 2003 saw the inauguration of a new populist president, who immediately appointed two indigenous persons to his cabinet. In this volume, eleven critical essays plus a lengthy introduction and a timely epilogue explore the multicultural forces that have allowed Ecuador's indigenous peoples to have such dramatic effects on the nation's political structure.