When things are a burden on you: Material culture ethnography in the foothils of the Sierra Nevada

Rok, strany: 2010, 552 - 565

I carried out an ethnographic study on a group of mainstream European migrants to south of Spain, a small region in Andalusia - La Alpujarra. Contrary to prevailing anthropological theories of migration, these migrants do not follow mainstream flows, i.e., towards more developed urban centres, to maximize their economical value, but do the opposite; they try to live on less with a different view on standard of living, ascribing value to open spaces and self-organized time instead of to new cars and careers. Luxury is being redefined, with time, attention, space, calm, nature, and safety being at the top of the ladder. As only qualitative research can reveal the nature of this kind of migration, I used the methods of Material Culture both in my ethnographic work and my analysis. Many anthropological studies have focused on things in the process of migration (Marcus, Gardner, Búriková) uncovering the social through the spatial movements of things and ideas. Focusing on the houses of mainstream European migrants I could observe different strategies, such as "bricolage", the virtue of a rational modus vivendi with things, lack of false sentiment, and creativity, that help people to move easily within Europe and settle down in the rough conditions of La Alpujarra.

ISO 690:

Wildová, K. 2010. When things are a burden on you: Material culture ethnography in the foothils of the Sierra Nevada. In Slovenský národopis / Slovak Ethnology, vol. 58, no.5, pp. 552-565. 1339-9357.

APA:

Wildová, K. (2010). When things are a burden on you: Material culture ethnography in the foothils of the Sierra Nevada. Slovenský národopis / Slovak Ethnology, 58(5), 552-565. 1339-9357.