Abstract
In opposition to the biomedical discourse, the Ch’orti’ construction of malnutrition—the indigenous version of illness—has been shaped through representations that highlight «lack of care» and maternal responsibility rather than «lack of food.» This paper explores the ethnography of malnutrition in this region of eastern Guatemala, through an analysis of the relationship between the narratives and experiences of mothers with children who have suffered from malnutrition. Despite energetic attempts at «health and nutrition education,» the narratives tend to place the biomedical discourse of caloric balances in a marginal position. The ethnography proposed here seeks to provide clues to understanding this issue, tackling the density of its meaning and defining malnutrition as a matter of symbolic and political balances.
Highlights
This paper explores the ethnography of malnutrition in this region of eastern Guatemala, through an analysis of the relationship between the narratives and experiences of mothers with children who have suffered from malnutrition
Experiencing Conquest: The Political Economic Roots and Cultural Expresión of C’hortí Maya Ethos
Summary
Frente al discurso biomédico occidental, la construcción Ch’orti’ de la desnutrición —la versión indígena del padecimiento— se ha tejido a través de representaciones colectivas que ahondan en «la falta de cuido» y la responsabilidad materna, y no tanto en la falta de alimentos. Este texto ofrece al lector un acercamiento a la etnografía de la desnutrición en esta región del oriente de Guatemala, a través del análisis de las relaciones que se establecen entre relatos y experiencias de madres que sufrieron la experiencia de la desnutrición de alguno de sus hijos. La etnografía propuesta intenta aquí ofrecer pistas para comprender esta cuestión, abordando la densidad de sentidos y significados de la desnutrición entendida como un asunto de déficits en balances simbólicos y políticos.
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