The publication of Community in Transition is a most welcome and valuable addition to Latin American literature not only because it is a contribution to the all too sparse anthropological material on highland Ecuador, but also because it deals with a fascinating culture area. The subject of the book, Nayón, belongs to a group of Indian villages located on the periphery of Quito. These communities especially interest the applied anthropologist, because they are undergoing rapid acculturation while maintaining a distinctive culture.
When one visits Nayón and its neighbors, Zámbiza and Llano Chico, one is struck by the greater progressiveness of these communities in comparison to the hacienda-dominated communities of central and southern Ecuador. Ralph Beals offers a number of explanations for this beyond the obvious one of proximity to Quito. Internal as well as external factors have stimulated the change process in Nayón.
One major factor is the relative unimportance of large haciendas in the zone. This has saved Nayón from the paternalistic system which impedes progress through fostering overdependency on a patrón. Most people of Mayón own small or medium-sized landholdings on which they grow surplus produce for the Quito market. The few landless members of the community seek work as laborers in Quito. A number of the more enterprising inhabitants have become entrepreneurs, engaged in the buying and selling of produce. This activity has brought them into contact with diverse regions of Ecuador.
Another factor which has contributed to the rapid development of Nayón is a high literacy rate resulting from the influence of an education-minded priest. Also very important is the industrious character of the Nayón citizenry.
Applied anthropology needs more studies of this kind which trace and interpret the acculturation process. It is hoped that Ralph Beals and/or his students will document periodically the continuing transition of Nayón. My only complaint is the delay in publication. The original field data were collected in 1949, and Nayón was revisited in 1962.
