ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the notion of livelihood as a central theme in which it is possible to examine the different forms and degrees of petty commodity production in the context of different household structures. It describes the manufacture of maize beer (chicha) by women in one Andean village as an example of the important but varied roles that one activity can perform. The chapter assesses the function of this activity according to the composition and landholding stratum of the household, and briefly presents two case-studies in order to do this. The case study of chicha production is set in the community of Santa Rosa which comprises some 62 households and is located on a hillside some 100 kms northwest of the city of Cochabamba in central Bolivia. The chapter highlights the extraordinary diversity of household forms and the variety of roles that a single activity, such as the brewing of chicha, can perform for different household units.
