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Tanner, Thomas (2003) 'Peopling mountain environments: Changing Andean livelihoods in north-west Argentina.' The Geographical Journal, 169 (3). pp. 205-214.

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Abstract

Structural adjustment and neoliberal policy implementation in Latin America have had dramatic consequences for livelihoods and patterns of natural resource use in mountain regions. Restructuring of the agricultural economy has increased socio-economic hardship and reduced industrial labour requirements, altering traditional patterns of seasonal migration from these areas. This paper examines the implications of recent economic and political transformation for Andean livelihoods in the mountains of northwest Argentina. Case study material illustrates the local impacts of such changes on socio-economic dynamics, patterns of urban–rural interaction, and natural resource use. The research highlights the influence of agro-industrial restructuring, protected areas creation, and the distribution of social funds in the region. It reveals that local development is constrained and controlled not only by distant policies but also by contemporary local networks of political clientalism. The influence of both distant and proximate factors governing livelihoods and environmental impacts reinforces the value of geographical study in mountain areas, given its acute spatial and scalar awareness. The paper reaffirms the conception of mountain livelihoods as diverse and dynamic, shaped by economic, political, social and cultural factors as well as physical eality, and critiques the economic rationality of resource use assumed by policymakers and economic models.

Item Type: Journal Article
Keywords: Argentina, mountain livelihoods, natural resources, protected areas, economic restructuring, political clientalism
SOAS Departments & Centres: Departments and Subunits > Department of Development Studies
Departments and Subunits > Interdisciplinary Studies > Centre for Development, Environment and Policy
ISSN: 00167398
Copyright Statement: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Tanner, Thomas (2003) 'Peopling mountain environments: Changing Andean livelihoods in north-west Argentina.' The Geographical Journal, 169 (3). pp. 205-214.which has been published in final form at: https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-4959.0008 This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.
DOI (Digital Object Identifier): https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-4959.00085
Date Deposited: 30 Jun 2021 12:09
URI: https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/id/eprint/35255
Funders: European Union

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