Cajetes, almudes and scales in the Tlacolula plaza.Coexistence of measures and economies in the marketplace

Abstract

This article describes the stories of three saleswomen that work in the market of the small town of Tlacolula de Matamoros, in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca that quantify their commodities and develop commerce in different ways. The material and symbolic use of their measures and what it means that different measuring systems coexist in the same commercial place is analyzed. The existence of diverse measuring systems and their presence in commercial exchange allows the preservation and continuity of local epistemologies are assessed. Also, it is stated that the resistance of some indigenous groups towards standardization (of measures, language, and dress) is part of a range of local strategic resources with which they are permanently appropriating the commercial space. This allows us to see that the market is a complex phenomenon that goes beyond being a physical resource for the interaction of supply and demand. It is a recreational space, a theatre, a social technology, and a runway of social, political, and cultural life. It is a place that has its own cultural and social existence.