Changes in peasant family relations following political violence and the new role of women

The work consists of four chapters. The first addresses the socioeconomic context of Ayacucho before and after the emergence of violence. The second chapter describes the socioeconomic and cultural characteristics of peasant families before the political violence, showing their structure and relational systems. The third chapter concerns the impact that violence and displacement had on family structure and relationships, as well as the new role assumed by women. The fourth chapter addresses the new relationships between city and countryside established through the presence and movement of displaced persons, who reproduced their cultural elements. Finally, the work examines the prospects for these families. The main difficulty in conducting the research was the distrust of families — primarily those who remained in their communities — toward an outsider asking them for information. This attitude is understandable given the climate of fear generated by the violence.