Domestic group organization and processes in a rural Colombian town

Special attention will be given to the general economic situation in this town and to certain organizations factors which appear to be particularly characteristic of low-income level households. The major points of concentration of the field research revolved around the effort to describe and analyze some of the economic conditions of life in La Guaca and to observe and collect as much data as possible concerning the domestic household and its activities. The actual analysis and the attempt to present the results of this research also resulted in a set of conceptual problems. In this study the conceptual problem is especially relevant where discussion of the household is concerned. The major issue associated with that unit of social organization with which this study is concerned involves the use of such concepts as "family," "nuclear family," "household," and "domestic group." Distinctions are made in this study between these units. Furthermore, one of the purposes of the study is to show that by focusing attention on various domestic groups, their interrelationships, and their activities, it is possible to gain some insight into the issue of survival in this community.