Jóvenes indígenas (kichwa-otavalos) entre etnicidad, clase y género

Neighborhood is built on processes of social inclusion and exclusion. In my research I focus on the region of Otavalo in Ecuador, where severe changes in the economies of rural indigenous communities have led indigenous people to strengthen their cultural identification as Kichwa-Otavalos . Some scholars assume the loss of indigenous identity as a specific problem of young people and as a cause of external processes linked with Globalization. Nevertheless, these issues could occlude the internal tensions within the groups. I argue that relationships on age and gender as axes of social inequality have important impacts on identity constructions within rural indigenous communities and also evidence internal power structures, which are necessary in understanding indigenous youth realities and their roles on transformation processes in their communities.