Resistance and the Politics of Negotiation: Women, Place and Space among the Kayapó in Amazonia, Brazil

Citation:

Zanotti, Laura. 2013. “Resistance and the Politics of Negotiation: Women, Place and Space among the Kayapó in Amazonia, Brazil.” Gender, Place & Culture 20 (3): 346–62. doi:10.1080/0966369X.2012.674927.

Author: Laura Zanotti

Abstract:

In this article, I suggest that a critical analysis of Kayapó participation in resistance strategies should be inclusive of negotiated politics, everyday resistance and micro-scale strategies of contestation along with the public and highly dramatic. In particular, I interweave theories of gender, resistance and space to analyse women's strategies of resistance and spaces of negotiation in a Kayapó village. I not only emphasize the performative politics of activism, but also highlight the gendered facets of performance and resistance. I suggest that a critical analysis of women's participation in resistance strategies should be inclusive of but not overshadowed by the highly visible, spectacular forms of social movements. Drawing upon more than 12 months of ethnographic research in a Kayapó village, I note the importance of examining everyday experiences of discord and resistance in Kayapó villages. This micro-scale perspective is especially salient if we consider that women might be unevenly included or not have routine access to leadership roles and protests. Finally, I draw attention to the power-laden spatial politics of contestation in order to trace the way in which women are using distinct facets of village landscapes for performative practices and politics.

Topics: Gender, Women, Gender Roles, Gendered Power Relations, Gender Hierarchies, Gender Equality/Inequality, Governance Regions: Americas, South America Countries: Brazil

Year: 2013