ABSTRACT
The Panamanian countryside is somewhat unusual in that a distinctive campesino culture has been able to develop over the years with but subdued outside influences. Furthermore, no Panamanian village is average or normal; Los Boquerones is unique. Yet, the primary themes of my study are only variations of broader Hispanic ones, and Los Boquerones itself represents a local working out of certain Latin American values and institutions. 1 One contribution of my study has been to show both some of the diverse forms which these patterns may take and how they are woven together in a local setting. By way of conclusion I shall first summarize some of the important aspects of ‘social structure’ in Los Boquerones in order to underline the place of my study within this broader context.
