Warmi urquy”

Marriage proposals and gender hierarchy in the Peruvian Andes

Bibliographic Data

ID13076196
AuthorsEdgar Gutiérrez-Gómez (0000-0001-9485-1284, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico), Luis Miguel Flores-Vargas (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico), Rosa Cecilia González Ríos (0000-0002-4950-8951, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico), Rosa Cecilia González-Ríos (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Huanta), Sonia Beatriz Munaris-Parco (0000-0001-8784-5724, National Training Service), Jaime Carmelo Aspur-Barrientos (0000-0002-6580-8786, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico), Alanis Bello Ramírez (0000-0001-6260-5097, Universidad Nacional José María Arguedas), Aldo Bazán-Ramírez (Universidad Nacional José María Arguedas)
Year2026
Volume11
Pages1722698-1722698
Publication date2026-03-03
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Sociology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2297-7775 • E-ISSN: 2297-7775
PublisherFrontiers Media (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fsoc.2026.1722698
PMID41852909
OpenAlexW7133354459
LanguageEN
References cited18

The warmi urquy ritual, still practiced in the province of Huanta, Ayacucho region, is a tradition of marriage proposal in the Peruvian Andes, in which gender hierarchies and sexist social norms are evident. The objective of this research is to understand the cultural and social significance of this practice by analyzing the manifestation of gender roles and power relations during the ceremony. The research is conducted using a qualitative approach with ethnographic methodology, combining participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and informal conversations. Direct participation in the ceremony allowed for the recording of the roles of the actors, symbolic expressions, and perceptions of godparents, family members, and guests. The results show that women are at the center of the ritual, while the groom and his family seek to demonstrate their performance and ability to "take her out" as a wife, evidencing social control and gender hierarchy. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the persistence of Andean traditions despite social and cultural changes

Ceremony · Ethnography · Gender relations · Hierarchy · Participant observation · Perception · Power (physics · Qualitative research · Social relation · Gender and Feminist Studies · Gender, Health, and Social Inequality · Latin American history and culture

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