The Multiplication of the House: Domestic Memories and Presence Among Pastoral Groups in the Andean Highlights

Abstract

The role of the house in household formation has been extensively discussed in anthropological literature. Recent contributions have emphasized the mutual constitution between the house and the family, although the specific role of the architectural object in this dynamic has not been sufficiently analyzed. This paper focuses on these relationships based on ethnographic research on pastoral domestic architecture in the highlands of Jujuy, Argentina. The proliferation of interconnected domestic architecture and families, a process that I will refer to as “multiplication of the house,” is related in this context to mutual upbringing (crianza) within shared growth mediated by care. This occurs within a circular and continuous construction process that involves the accumulation of memories through daily presence in the spaces of both the living and the non-living. Multiplication and upbringing are key concepts to illustrate how a circular temporality provides a different perspective on architecture beyond a linear sequence.