INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 1 



would be mere fantasy at the present time. Not 

 only would materials be lacking, but there would 

 be an almost complete lack of skills available for 

 the construction; economically, it would represent 

 an unattainable ideal even for the wealthy, and 

 the Tarascans would have no idea what to do 

 with such a house if they had it. 



There are not wanting opinions that the estab- 

 lishment of values is entirely too complicated a 

 business to be feasible. This seems, perhaps, too 

 drastic a view to take. Admittedly, it is not 

 possible with our present techniques to arrive at a 

 complete statement, and, for the piu-pose of the 

 approach to be used in this paper, it is not par- 

 ticularly necessary that we do so. What should 

 be possible is to establish certain minimal stand- 

 ards of value which will be generally accepted and 

 some of which are susceptible of empirical deter- 

 mination. In the last analysis, the decision as to 

 how far beyond the minima it is desirable or 

 feasible to go with respect to the Tarascans is a 

 matter to be decided by administrative agencies 

 in terms of the data which may be presented by 

 research. This is, of course, begging the question 

 of the ultimate establishment of desirable values, 

 but, for the present, we wish only to establish the 

 main categories within which value problems 

 exist. Using these categories, it should be pos- 

 sible for the scientist to pressnt the problems and 

 data in such a fashion as to serve the interests of 

 both the "pure" and "applied" fields. 



The following categories of value problems are 

 offered as representing the basic assumptions on 

 which we may proceed: 



1. A reasonable number of square feet of floor space 

 and cubic feet of room space per person are necessary to 

 good health. This assumes that good health in the popu- 

 lation is a desirable goal, but we must make some assump- 

 tions if this discussion is not to be unduly protracted. 

 The amount of space needed should be possible of empirical 

 determination by medical experimentation, taking into 

 account variations in climate, living habits, clothing, and 

 similar factors. 



2. The degree of ventilation necessary for lioalth may 

 be determined. 



3. The housing should be sufficiently dry to preserve 

 not only the health of the inmates but any furnishings, 

 food, or other belongings kept in the house. 



4. If the climate demands, some method of providing 

 heat is needed, conditioned again by clothing and living 

 habits. 



5. The housing should be rodent and insect proof, 

 again to protect health and property. 



Other factors of a more complex nature could 

 be brought into this list. Any mention of esthetic 



satisfactions is also purposely avoided. It is 

 hoped that, in the ensuing sections of the paper, it 

 wiU be demonstrated that data on Tarascan 

 housing can be presented sensibly in terms of 

 these problems relative to costs, materials, skills, 

 habits, and economic resources. Such a presen- 

 tation should make it possible for administrators 

 to set goals, and at the same time permit the 

 scientist to establish the relative adequacy of the 

 Tarascan adaptation to environment more ex- 

 plicitly than is usually done. 



It j)erha])s must b(>, emphasized that in the last 

 analysis any system of values or goals chosen must 

 rest with the administrative agency or agents* not 

 with the uivestigator. It is obvious also that 

 these values may be unduly influenced by the 

 cultural background of the agents. Thus, a 

 southern Californian might show a predilection 

 for frame and stucco construction (or, if he is 

 sensitive, a pronounced antipathy to such con- 

 striiction), while a New Yorker might prefer 

 brick, and a Mexican might lean toward adobe or 

 Ume and stone. Such problems lie outside the 

 immediate scope of our pm'pose. Ratlier we are 

 concerned with ascertainuig whether the data 

 may be presented with reference to problem cate- 

 gories in such a way that the administrator can 

 niulcc a reasonable choice of values and a decision 

 as to the means to be employed in achieving them. 



An additional question is whether these data 

 may be presented Ln such form as to be scientific 

 in character and to meet the needs of the scientist 

 in the pm'c sense. This is really a dual problem. 

 The first is whether the collection of data for the 

 two ends may reasonably be combined. The 

 second is whether the presentation of data can be 

 combined in a single report. It is our impression 

 that the latter is more difficult than is the first. 

 In any case, we believe we are m a good position to 

 make the attempt. Although some of the funds 

 used in the field work were supplied by a govern- 

 ment agency, the Departmento Autdnomo de 

 Astmtos Indigenas, absolutely no restrictions were 

 attached to then- use, and no efl^orts were made to 

 influence the place or the dh-ection of the study. 

 We also have little du'ect personal interest in the 

 solution of the problems posed and can have little 

 hope of influencing any administrative decisions 

 on value standards. Consequently, our attitudes 

 toward values or goals should be relatively neutral. 

 With this lengthy discussion of theoretical prob- 

 lems, we turn now to the concrete attempt to put 

 these ideas into practice. 



