HOUSES OF THE SIERRA TARASCANS — BEALS, CARRASCO, McCORKLE 



37 



plished: changes in construction methods, and 

 changes in hving habits and house use. 



One needed aUeration in construction methods 

 is in the threction of better ventilation for hving 

 quarters. This means more ventilation lor 

 masonry-adobe structures and better controlled 

 ventilation for wooden structures (including ade- 

 quate smoke-venting). Moisture-proof concrete 

 foundations for masonry-adobe structui'cs would 

 remove a major drawback to this type of con- 

 struction. Neither of these changes would in- 

 crease costs beyond the reach of most of the 

 80 percent who approach present Cheran standards 

 of adequate housing. In less prosperous towns, 

 however, the added expense of concrete founda- 

 tions would be more serious, particularly in towns 

 not accessible by road. 



In Cheran, hving habits are a more serious 

 drawl)ack to adequate housing conditions than are 

 economic factors (always excepting the lower 

 20 percent). As has been shown, actual living 

 goes on in the kitchen, which serves for both 

 eating and sleeping. Much potential living space 

 thus is unused. Wliether a wooden or a masonry- 

 adobe house is owned, it is not used for any part 



of healthful living. The problem, then, is to 

 secure use of more of the available hving space. 

 Tliis may prove more difficult than providing 

 additional living space. It is our impression that 

 the answer to this problem lies partlj- in intro- 

 ducing practical, economical, and cleanly ways of 

 heating parts of the buildings other than the 

 kitchen, partly in persuading Tarascans to pur- 

 chase and care for additional bedding and clothing. 

 Economically, the introduction of heating would 

 be easier for the Sierra Tarascans (who can cut 

 their own wood) than would the purchase of more 

 bedchng and clotliing. Introduction of adequate 

 care for bedding likewise would be difficult. 



Essentially, then, for the majority of the Cheran 

 population, improvement of housing conditions is 

 not an economic problem. Rather is it a problem 

 of altering basic patterns of culture. It may be 

 concluded, therefore, that in addition to the 

 economic betterment of the lower segments of the 

 population, a program of education and directed 

 acculturation is i-equired. The housing problems 

 consequently merge into the wider problems of 

 education and culture change. 



U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1944 



