Presenter: Jessica Chelekis
Ph.D. Student, Anthropology
Friday, October 12 @ 11:30 a.m.
ACT Conference Room, Student Bldg. 331
Abstract
Over the past 30 years, direct sales corporations have increasingly penetrated rural markets in the Third World, offering a new, flexible way for women to earn money while fulfilling traditional expectations and performing domestic tasks. Although much research has been conducted on land use and agricultural systems among poor rural farming populations in the Amazon, few studies have focused on women’s contributions to the household economy. An array of national and multinational direct sales companies is present in this region, offering an ideal opportunity to investigate how women have taken an urban-oriented sector and made it a part of their livelihood strategies. I will examine the relationship between women’s participation in direct sales—such as selling Avon or Tupperware—and traditional gender roles, and how direct sales fits into the household economy. I will also talk about the ways in which direct sales systems link local and global economies.
Join us and bring your lunch!