Understanding why inequality is so great and has persevered for centuries in a number of Latin American countries requires tools that go beyond economics. Inequality between indigenous groups and others has been particularly harsh and persistent. This book applies a truly interdisciplinary approach to the specific case of Peru, seeking out the dynamics of the interactions between the society, the polity, the geography and the economy. Ethnic discrimination and prejudice emerge as central themes, explored through people#x19;s own perceptions and life experiences. The book attempts to extend the boundaries of our understanding and contributes to the growing interest in ethnicity and conflict by developing and exploring the interactions between institutions and the inequalities between groups.

Rosemary Thorp is Emeritus Fellow at St Antony's College, University of Oxford, UK, and also Emeritus Reader of the University. She was Director of the Latin American Centre for three periods, and in 2003-4 Director of Queen Elizabeth House. She was Chair of Oxfam GB between 2001 and 2006. Among her principal works are Peru 1890-1977: Growth and Policy in an open Economy (with Geoffrey Bertram) and Progress, Poverty and Exclusion: An Economic History of Latin America in the 20th Century. Maritza Paredes is a political scientist working on the construction of the state in Bolivia, Chile and Peru. She is a member of St Antony's College, University of Oxford, UK. She has is recent years been actively involved in the work of the Centre for Research in Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity (CRISE), Department of International Development (Queen Elizabeth House). She has published on issues of ethnic politics, natural resources and state formation in the Andes.