Studying Housing Areas in a Developing Nation: Lessons From Oaxaca City, Mexico.

Abstract

This paper explores the usefulness of drawing on conceptual models in archaeology and units of analysis from architecture, urban planning and urban sociology when conducting a socio-economic study of a moderate-sized city in a developing country. The concept of the social area is useful in helping to mesh statistical data with ethnographic open-interview methodology. The example presented in this paper is from the work of the Mexican Urban Household Project’s work in Oaxaca, Mexico.

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Notes on contributors

Arthur D. Murphy

Arthur D. Murphy is Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work, Baylor University, Waco, Texas. This paper was compiled with support from the National Institute for Community Development of Mexico (INDECO-MEXICO), the Institute of Latin American Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, the Rusk Center at the University of Georgia and the University Research Committee at Baylor University. Additional support was given by Ing. Jose Luis Aceves M., Arq. Jose Ma. Gutierrez, Arq. Ignacio Cabrera, Lie. Aida Casteneda, Ignacio Ruiz Love, Henry A. Selby, Steve Kowalewski, Laura Finsten and Jeanie Fitzpatrick.