Ecuador

The Republic of Ecuador is located along the equator in northwestern South America. Ecuadorians maintain ethnic, regional, and national identities. Society is stratified, with social position largely determined by family connections, urban status, and educational and professional achievements. Prominent social networks include extended family, labor unions, and indigenous and other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Ecuadorians also socialize through a variety of cultural and recreational activities.

Ecuadorian society is both multiethnic and multicultural, although there is also a strong sense of national identity. The majority of the population is of Spanish descent. Ecuador has one of largest indigenous populations in South America, with the Quechua speakers being the most prominent. There are also several Afro-Ecuadorian cultures. Indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorian groups maintain distinct identities and social and cultural ties with similar peoples in neighboring countries. There is a significant cultural division between the coastal and sierra populations as well as between urban and rural areas.

Ecuadorian society has been highly stratified throughout much of its history, although social classes have also been fluid. Traditionally, elites used skin color as a determinant of social status but also used the concept of mestizaje, or “whitening,” to bind themselves to middle and lower classes of mixed descent in opposition to indigenous peoples or Afro-Ecuadorians. In modern Ecuadorian society, family connections, urbanization, education, material possessions, and professional achievement are more notable markers of social status. Elites mark internal divisions between the older, more established, elite landowning families and an emerging elite based primarily on wealth.

There is also a growing middle class and a large population who live in poverty. Many poor laborers are exploited through the enganche labor system, where labor bosses control manual labor distribution and garnish wages. Labor unions are active. National welfare programs are chronically underfunded, making grassroots political and social movements common. Indigenous organizations are among the most powerful NGOs in Ecuador, including the Confederation of Indigenous People of Ecuador (CONAIE) and Ecuador's Indigenous Awakening (ECUARUNANI). An indigenous [Page 231]political movement, known as pachakutik, or return to the land, developed in the mid-1990s.

Family networks are a key component of Ecuadorian society. Family or friends separated by urban migration or international emigration maintain connections through visits or e-mail and online social networking sites. Other important social connections are formed through ritual kinship networks known as compadrazgo and patronage systems. Communities also come together to help one another through the minga, a form of community labor. The predominant Roman Catholic religion is another important cultural element, forming the basis for many communal celebrations. Prominent religious holidays include Christmas; Three Kings' Day; Carnival, held annually before the Lenten period begins; and local fiestas dedicated to particular saints. Communal fiestas also mark secular occasions, such as the national liberation days of May 24 and August 10, city and town founding days, Columbus Day, and Andean harvests.

Ecuadorian society also features a number of artistic, cultural, and recreational social outlets. Artisans produce a variety of handcrafted goods for sale at markets, including woven cloth, woodcarvings, ceramics, and Panama hats. Ecuador also has a rich literary community. Fútbol (soccer) is the dominant national and local sport that unites the country. Its stars are celebrated as national heroes. Other prominent sports include track and field, paddleball, bullfighting, and cockfighting. Urban young adults frequent clubs and discos, while families frequent traditional music clubs known as penas.

...