Skip to main content
Log in

Wealth and growth among Mayan Indian peasants

  • Published:
Human Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The significance of economic stratification in several highland Guatemalan Indian peasant communities is investigated in terms of its impact on physical growth of the inhabitants. Studies are mentioned from more industrialized countries which associate differences in growth with wealth. The question of whether richer people in such poor communities eat significantly better diets and so achieve larger size is explored by correlating economic status with the height and weight of children. The lack of a positive association in this case leads to a consideration of factors which might militate against it.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barnett, C. R., Jackson, J., and Cann, H. M. (1971). Childspacing in a highland Guatemala community. In Polgar, S. (ed.),Culture and Population, Schenkman, Cambridge, Mass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cancian, F. (1965).Economics and Prestige in a Maya Community, Stanford Press, Stanford, Calif.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, C., and Haswell, M. (1964).The Economics of Subsistence Agriculture, Macmillan, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cravioto, J., Birch, H. G., De Licardie, E. R., and Rosales, L. (1967). The ecology of infant weight gain in a pre-industrial society.Acta Paediat. Scand. 56: 71–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO (1964).Protein, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flores, M., Gracia, B., Flores, Z., and Lara, M. Y. (1964). Annual patterns of family and children's diet in three Guatemalan Indian communities.Brit. J. Nutr. 18: 281–293.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frish, R., and Revelle, R. (1969). Variation in body weights and the age of the adolescent growth spurt among Latin American and Asian populations, in relation to calorie supplies.Hum. Biol. 41(2): 185–212.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, J. E., Guzman, M. A., Ascoli, W., and Scrimshaw, N. S. (1964). Acute diarrhoeal disease in less developed countries.Bull. World Health Org. 31: 9–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greulich, W. W. (1957). A comparison of the physical growth and development of American-born and native Japanese children.Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 15: 489–515.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howe, P. E., and Schiller, M. (1952). Growth responses of the school child to changes in diet and environmental factors.J. Appl. Physiol. 5: 51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeliffe, D. B. (1966).The Assessment of the Nutritional Status of the Community, World Health Organization Monograph No. 53, Geneva.

  • Margalef, R. (1963). On certain unifying principles in ecology.Am. Naturalist 97: 357–374.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meredith, H. V. (1951). Relation between socioeconomic status and body size in boys seven to ten years of age.A.M.A. Am. J. Dis. Child. 82(6): 702–709.

    Google Scholar 

  • McLaren, D. S., and Read, W. W. C. (1972). Classification of nutritional status in early childhood.Lancet 1972: 146–148.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, H. S. (1964). Protein limitation and human growth.J. Am. Dietet. Ass. 44: 165–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, H. S., and Santo, S. (1963). A study of children in Hokkaido orphanages: Heights, weights and dietary patterns.J. Fac. Agr. Hokkaido Univ. 52: 483 (Part 3).

    Google Scholar 

  • Montgomery, E. (1972). Stratification and nutrition in a population in Southern India. Unpublished doctoral dissertation in anthropology, Columbia University, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nammacher, M. A., Bradfield, R. S., and Arroyave, G. (1972). Comparing nutritional status methods in a Guatemalan survey.Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 25: 871–874.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nammacher, M. A., DeLeon G. R., and O'Byrne, M. (n.d.). The ecology of communicable diseases in developing regions: Measles and whooping cough in rural Guatemala.

  • Nash, M. (1966).Primitive and Peasant Economic Systems, Chandler, San Francisco.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scrimshaw, N. S., Taylor, C. E., and Gordon, J. E. (1968). Interactions of nutrition and infection. World Health Organization Monograph No. 57, Geneva.

  • “Seminario” (1968).Los Pueblos del Lago de Atitlan, Seminario de Integracion Social Guatemalteca (no editor), Tipografia Nacional, Guatemala.

  • Stoudt, H. W., Damon, A., and McFarland, R. A. (1960). Heights and weights of white Americans.Hum. Biol. 32(4): 331–339.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stunkard, A., d'Aquili, E., Fox, S., and Filion, R. D. L. (1972). Influence of social class on obesity and thinness in children.J. Am. Med. Ass. 221: 579–584.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tanner, J. M. (1962).Growth at Adolescence, Blackwell, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tanner, J. M., Taylor, G. R., and the Editors of Life (1965).Growth, Time, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolf, E. (1957). Closed corporate peasant communities in Mesoamerica and Central Java.Southwest. J. Anthropol. 13: 1.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Plattner, S. Wealth and growth among Mayan Indian peasants. Hum Ecol 2, 75–87 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01558114

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01558114

Keywords

Navigation