This project involves the dissertation research of a cultural anthropologist from Stanford University studying how costume is used by people in the Ecuadorian Andes to express ethnic identity. Using participant observation and the analysis of media in four areas of Ecuador varying in the degree of indigenous dress as well as wealth and commercialization, the project will analyze changes in indigenous costume and how native dress is used as a political symbol. This research is important because it will increase our understanding of how people manipulate symbols of ethnic identity to achieve goals with respect to local and regional governments. Local costume is used as an ethnic marker in many parts of the world, and rather than disappearing as people "modernize", is increasing in selective ways. This project will advance our understanding of how material culture is manipulated by people for political and social goals. By showing how outsiders' representations of ethnic groups perpetuate ethnic stereotypes and exacerbate racial tensions, the research can provide valuable information on how to alleviate these tensions.
