HOUSES OF THE SIERRA TARASCANS — BEALS. CARRASCO, McCORKLE 



29 



and the number of persons in the household. A 

 sampHng technique was used, and about 5 percent 

 of the houses in each barrio, or cuartcl, were 

 measured and a census of their inhabitants taken. 

 The only subjective factor in the study was the 

 selection of houses for measurement. An effort 

 was made to select houses in different classifica- 

 tions more or less in the proportions in which 



pied a lot, 6 had no house. These cases must be 

 ascribed to poverty in all probability. The same 

 is true of the 4 cases where single families occupy- 

 ing a lot had no houses. The housing situation 

 suggests, then, that 19.2 percent of Cherdn resi- 

 dents are inadequately housed according to 

 Cheran standards 



Considerable inequality in the amount of living 



Table 6.' — Data on Cher&n houses showing relation between size of house and number of persons in household in comparison 



with similar data on Sevina houses 



they seemed to occiu' in the cuartel. As this 

 study was done only after several mouths of 

 familiarity with the town, it is believed the sub- 

 jective error is not large. Comparative data 

 are given from the town of Sevina. In the latter 

 town, two streets were selected, and data taken 

 from every house on each of the two streets from 

 the central plaza to the edge of town. 



It is evident that in an appreciable number of 

 cases more than one family occupies a lot. This 

 situation may be due to several causes. In some 

 instances, it is a reflection of extreme poverty. 

 In others, it results from sons remaining with 

 their parents after marriage. In some instances 

 also sons or sons and daughters may jointly oc- 

 cupy a lot inherited from their parents without 

 subdividing the property. 



In those cases where no house existed, 1.5 out 

 of 52, poverty is indicated. It is true, however, 

 that cases may exist where the person may be 

 relatively comfortable financially and has not 

 built a house because he has no agricidtural land 

 and hence no great need for storage space. In 

 most cases where more than i family occupied a 

 lot, there is a separate kitchen for each family. 

 In the 22 cases in which more than 1 family occu- 



space per person is evident, even when averages 

 from the different cuarteln are compared. This 

 dillerence is even more marked in terms of the 

 individual families. Individual households may 

 vary from 179 square feet of living space per per- 

 son to as little as 22 square feet per person. This 

 inequality appears less marked, however, if only 

 kitchen space is considered. In view of living 

 hiibits, the amount of space per person in the 

 kitchens is a more accurate indicator of living 

 conditions. This also varies appreciably from 

 household to household but the range appears to 

 be fi'om 14 square feet (1.3 sq. m.) of kitchen 

 space per person in cases with a house also — or 

 from about 20 square feet (1.85 sq. m.) in cases 

 Avithout a house — to as high as 95 square feet 

 (8.82 sq. m.) per person. The smallest kitchens, 

 with relation to number of persons, appear in 

 cases with a house as well. However, the largest 

 kitchen space appears in connection with house- 

 holds also having a house or houses. 



It is probable tliat a number of these families 

 are inadequately housed according to Tarascan 

 standards, but no minimum figure can be set 

 from present knowledge. An abstract minimum 

 of the proper number of square feet per person 



