The Visual Economy of Andean Childhood Poverty: Interpreting Postcards in Cusco, Peru

Postcards depicting 'Andean poor children' in Cusco, Peru, serve as a lens to understand how diverse actors—producers, tourists, vendors, and volunteers—negotiate meanings around childhood poverty through their interactions. While structural inequalities perpetuate stereotypical representations, the study reveals creative appropriation, resistance, and adaptation of these ideologies by those involved. This dynamic process reshapes discourse on poverty and sustains economic subsistence in the Andean market. The research combines ethnographic fieldwork with interviews to explore how flexible practices redefine visual narratives and social perspectives.

Sinervo, A., & Hill, M. D. (2011). The Visual Economy of Andean Childhood Poverty: Interpreting Postcards in Cusco, Peru. The Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Anthropology, 16(1), 114–142. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1935-4940.2011.01127.x