Work, social relationships and emotions: a look at the economy of hope in Southern Peru

Conza F.E.O.; Vidangos E.C. · Digithum (2026) · DOI: 10.7238/d.v0i37.980000017125

Resumen

Informal work is a major form of economic organization in southern Peru, with analysis typically focusing on precariousness, subsistence, or the absence of regulation. This article proposes a relational perspective, analysing the work, emotions and social relationships that shape the “economy of hope” in the cachina trade in the cities of Puno and Juliaca. The research adopts a qualitative approach based on a multiple-case study, utilising semi-structured interviews, participant observation and photographic documentation conducted between 2024 and early 2026. The findings show that work constitutes a way of life that links family and commercial networks; emotions shape the everyday experience of work amid uncertainty, mobility and expectations of well-being; and social relationships enable the construction of bonds of reciprocity, trust and cooperation in the reproduction of the economy. Based on empirical evidence, the concept of the “economy of hope” is proposed as an analytical category that allows us to understand the popular economy not only as a survival strategy but also as a space for producing social bonds, envisioning possible futures and constructing horizons of social mobility.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional del Altiplano