Reflections on the decision-making processes and legitimacy in the Panzaleo Salache San José Kichwa community. Another perspective to understand democracy

Abstract

This article analyzes the decision-making processes and the legitimation of collective decisions in Panzaleo Salache San José kichwa community´s daily life to approach the understanding democracy. Methodologically, an ethnographic study was conducted between March and October 2021, carrying out participant observation in an indigenous community in the Ecuadorian highlands (Cotopaxi); additionally, interviews with community leaders were conducted. To understand the implications of community democracy, it was essential to approach the cultural meanings and worldviews of the Andean world regarding the collective, where this communal way of exercising democracy makes sense. The hypothesis suggests that community democracy is the basis of social organization in the day-to-day life of indigenous communities and is applied for decision-making in all aspects of daily life.