No. 18 (1993)
Articles

Identity is a policy and not an inheritance

PDF (Spanish)
  • José Echeverría Almeida
José Echeverría Almeida
Instituto Otavaleño de Antropología. Otavalo. Ecuador

Published 2021-05-07

Keywords

  • political identity,
  • cultural heritage,
  • integrated cultural logic,
  • social action,
  • ethnic consciousness

Copyright (c) 1993 IOA-author

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How to Cite

Echeverría Almeida, . J. (2021). Identity is a policy and not an inheritance. Revista Sarance, 18, 37-43. https://doi.org/10.51306/

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Abstract

This article explores the complexities of identity and politics in Ecuador, highlighting the interaction between hegemonic and subaltern cultures. It questions the anthropological nostalgia for the “authentic” and examines how identity is formed through historical and social processes, where tradition and modernity coexist in an integrated cultural logic. Identity is not static, but is constantly reinvented, revealing the past while constructing the present. The article emphasizes that ethnic consciousness arises from social action and is not limited to external aspects, such as clothing or customs, but is deeply linked to the struggle for common goals. In addition, it analyzes the possibility of maintaining a national identity while respecting ethnic and linguistic diversity, and discusses the ambiguities of the State in the construction of a plurinational and multiethnic nation.

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