Bridging two worlds: an ethnography of bureaucrat- peasant relations in western Mexico

Abstract

The extended case which forms the core of this chapter represents a journey into the everyday lives of bureaucrats and peasants in Jalisco, Mexico. The ethnography provided the means by which the researchers could begin to explore the different bodies of knowledge operative in the lives of these actors.1 The presentation of the case follows the chronology in which we slowly acquired a picture of the dilemmas and expectations of the peasants and bureaucrats involved. The central figure in the events that follow is Engineer Roberto, a técnico (technical agronomist) working for the Ministry of Agriculture and Hydraulic Resources (SARH) who was assigned to a remote area of the rain-fed district in which he worked. We concentrate upon the perceptions and interpretations of the actors concerned, rather than on a detailed mapping out of the social and political alliances involved.