Abstract

The transition from agriculture to tourism is accompanied by shifts in property and labor that have significant implications for gender and kinship. An agriculturally based system that has favored male ownership of productive property resources and agnatic kin cooperation gave prominence to men both as economic actors and as representatives of the household. Men's dominant role in the organization of the household economy was reflected in kinship's patrilateral emphasis. While the decline of agriculture weakened men's power base, the growth of tourism has upgraded women's economic position as well as their capacity to influence the structure of kinship. The transformation of dowry houses into valuable resources and the opening up of new opportunities for women to earn income without necessarily operating under the control of male kin are key changes resulting from touristic development. These changes underlie the added importance of women's roles, the female orientation of kinship, and the strengthening of the mother-daughter bond as the focal point in inter-household cooperation and exchange.

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