Communities of Lake Patzcuaro in the face of the changes in the territory. An interrelational view from the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) Framework

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the interrelationships in the lake region of Pátzcuaro, Michoacán. It intends to identify the modifications that, due to the changes occurred in the region, the socioeconomic dynamics have experienced. To reach this objective, the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework (IAD) was used as a methodological strategy for the analysis of the society-nature interactions in the study area. We part from the assumption that changes in productive structures cause sociocultural transformations. The main results of this study are, first, a typology of society-nature relationships and, second, shifts in productive structures based on participation by gender in each community. The Pátzcuaro region is culturally linked to Lake Pátzcuaro; however, the deterioration of water resources, among other factors, has led to changes in traditional productive activities.