Richard Wilk Books

Focusing on the Kekchi Maya of Belize, the study explores how this community adapts to development challenges by forming innovative family structures. Wilk examines their agricultural practices, land use, and labor dynamics, highlighting their resilience in a rainforest environment. By contextualizing their experiences within historical ecological processes, he illustrates how household organization influences ecological change. The research critiques traditional economic models, advocating for a nuanced understanding of rural development that incorporates both global and local influences.

Sifting through a wide range of examples drawn from literature, published ethnographies, and firsthand research, this title probes the unobserved moments in our daily lives - waiting for a bus, daydreaming by the window, performing a routine task - and illuminates these 'empty' times as full of significance.