BARA's mission is to place anthropology at the service of contemporary society, prepare the next generation of professional anthropologists, advance knowledge of the human condition, and address the pressing issues of local communities. Since 2001, BARA faculty and students have been working with community leaders and residents in Sonora, Mexico, primarily in Nogales, to develop and evaluate alternative, no- and low-emissions solar and wood-burning stoves for cooking and heating. We are also working with local partners to develop and test alternative, thermally efficient materials for home construction.
Contact Information
We are presently working with community leaders in Nogales, Sonora, to adapt rocket-elbow stove technologies for use in urban settings. Specifically, we are working with local metal workers to design and build stoves using discarded washing machine bodies. We are also working with health promoters to incorporate air quality information in their outreach efforts to people with asthma. We are working with leaders in villages near Hermosillo, Sonora to adapt low-emissions wood-burning and solar stoves for use there. We utilize a community-based participatory research framework based on partnerships formed with local organizations. Together we design, implement, monitor, and evaluate projects and programs. Though the framework is not linear, it involves six stages: 1. Identification and articulation of problem 2. Initial assessment of local conditions and of alternatives developed elsewhere 3. Sharing findings within the community and making decisions about whether, when, and how to move ahead 4. Implementing workshops and pilot projects with ongoing assessment and analysis 5. Communicating results with policymakers and others 6. Project extension or expansion, accompanied by outreach and education
Our Experience And Interest In The Four PCIA Central Focus Areas
We begin our work with an assessment of local conditions and seek technologies to address the specific needs expressed by the residents and leaders and to match the social and cultural expectations for those technologies. Thus, in Nogales, Sonora, for example, we are designing and constructing stoves that are very similar in appearance to gas stoves that residents expect to find in urban homes.
We are in the early stages of development and are working with local welders, masons, and builders with the intent of creating microenterprises with the community.
We have tried to utilize and adapt existing technologies that have been shown to function well and meet expectations for lowering harmful emissions. We will be working to standardize construction.
Our recently developed stoves will be monitored as part of an indoor air quality study being conducted by colleagues from the University of Utah.
Relevant Publications or Studies
2006 Austin, Diane E., Brian Burke, Krisna Ruette, Jeremy Slack, Ronald H. Villanueva. Thermal Construction and Alternative Heating and Cooking Technologies. Final Report. Report prepared at the Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology, University of Arizona for the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.
Our Contribution to the Partnership
We hope we can learn from the many experienced partners and will be willing to share what we have learned in our work.
