Dissertation Research: Linking Social and Cultural Capital: An Analysis of Cultural Change in Two Q'eqchi' Maya Communities

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Development programs in the Alta Verapaz region of Guatemala seek to provide economic alternatives for the local Q'eqchi' inhabitants, improve their health and nutrition, and protect the region's rich natural and cultural resources which include rainforests, caves, and archeological ruins. Analyses of development often consider program impacts and outcomes at a collective, community-wide level rather than at the level of the individual. Using the frameworks of social and cultural capital, this dissertation research project by a cultural anthropologist examines how personal assets differentially position Q'eqchi' individuals to take advantage of opportunities brought by development projects. Social capital refers to the resources that an individual or group has the ability to access through social networks, whereas cultural capital is more diffuse, including education, ethnicity, and dispositions gained through socialization. Research with Q'eqchi' participants and non-participants of development projects in two villages will investigate how assets of cultural capital such as bilingualism (Spanish and Q'eqchi'), educational level, experience living outside of the village, and knowledge of natural resources correlate directly with access to opportunities brought by development agents, as well as how these personal assets position individuals to form relationships with development workers which can lead to access to benefits. Benefits include employment in tourism, training in cash crop production, educational workshops, and travel opportunities. This comparative analysis will expand our understanding of social and cultural capital, which will contribute to a theory widely employed by economists, anthropologists, and sociologists. As ethnographic research among the Q'eqchi' is limited, this research will also expand the field of Maya studies. Broader impacts include new knowledge to help development planners ensure the success of their projects, as well as the advance in the education of a young social scientist.