Modernity, Gender, and Informal Money Storage in the Philippines

Photo: Jae Estuar

We are pleased to announce our newest working paper, by Janet Arnado, "Hidden in a Coke Bottle: Modernity, Gender, and the Informal Storing of Money in Philippine Indigenous Communities":

In this paper I explore the relationship between modernity and gender
in a traditional society, using as a case the informal storing of
money among indigenous populations in the Philippines. I examine 1)
gender as the interface of tradition and modernity; 2) money as the
interface between tradition and modernity; and 3) money as the
interface between men and women. In particular, I look into the ways
modernity reshapes and reworks gender relations by looking at informal
money storage which provides evidence of rationality and individualism
that are characteristics of modernity; and also indications of
tradition such as the house as a site of storage, and relationships
and livestock as forms of money. In addition, this study examines
money storage as a social process whereby modernity and tradition are
inherently intertwined and gendered. Finally, I present gender as a
class and a site of bargaining observed in the ways men and women
store their money, where relations can be harmonious or antagonistic
inasmuch as men and women share or conceal money from each other to
protect their gendered interests in the family. 

This study contributes to the literature on the gendered interplay
between modernity and tradition. This exploration into the informal
money storage mechanisms of indigenous communities brings to the
surface two points. One, that their usage of monies in various forms
(livestock, webs of obligations, crops, and nationally issued
currencies) situates the in-betweeness of indigenous peoples in the
tradition-modernity continuum, and provides them with safety net when
economic and marital shocks occur. Two, risks associated with these
informal storing practices are defined and mitigated in gender and
cultural contexts, whereby women negotiate for discretion on the
allocation of household monies.

Indigenous Families' Financial Practices in the Highlands of Chiapas

We are pleased to release our newest IMTFI working paper, by Magdalena Villareal and María Eugenia Santana, on indigenous financial practices in highland Chiapas. From the researchers:

When we set out to explore indigenous families’ financial practices and different forms of currency in the highlands of Chiapas, in Southeastern Mexico, we expected to face resistance to answering out questions concerning money. The region is, after all, considered one of the poorest in Mexico and is still largely based on the “milpa system”, barter and reciprocal hand, although the indigenous way of life is facing important changes. In fact, people were quite open in providing us numbers concerning income, costs and prices, but these did not always add up in a way that made sense to us. Frequently it was the time dimension of their calculations that we had to understand, but most often we had to come to grips with the social and cultural framework within which these were construed. Here, like in many other settings all over the world, arithmetic is signified in the light of beliefs, fears and hopes. 

Prestige and dignity mark transactions in an important way, as does their strong trust in God, the saints and their ancestors and their fear of envy and evil spirits. However, we encountered a complex interweaving of economies, some drawing heavily on tradition, others aiming at “development”, but most, pursuing mixed strategies in their struggles to get by. While in the traditional system, men are mostly dedicated to the production of maize and other subsistence crops, in the more “modernized” sectors they grow flowers in plastic greenhouses and sell to national and international markets. Women mostly do craftwork: in one of the villages it was the elaboration of clay pottery and objects for decoration. In the other, they weave with waist looms, using ancient techniques passed down from mothers to daughters for hundreds of years. The sale of clay craftwork and textiles represents an important cash income for their families. 

You can download it from our website.