i Patrick W. Staib Anthropology This dissertation is approved, and it ...

Figure 2. Electoral map of San Juan del Río Coco showing Zones 1-5 (Courtesy of
Alcaldía San Juan del Río Coco).
have four children and have lived in San Juan all their lives. Kelly and I planned stay
with Danilo and his family as we adjusted to the area. I had stayed with Danilo and his
family during previous visits. His son Everst and I had been in touch via email as I was
arranging our arrival.
On the day I arrived, Danilo happened to be in Managua. The family was
expecting me. Adrian, Danilo’s younger brother, and Bismarck, Danilo’s oldest son, were
finishing work on a shower that Danilo had built on the patio. Our first order of business
was to wire my room for electricity. After dropping off my bags, Bismarck and I headed
to the hardware store adjacent to the coffee cooperative in town. We purchased the
essentials for one light switch, an outlet, and a ceiling light fixture.
The house was big by local standards. It was brick with fine cement finish on the
walls. The roof was tin and the floor, cement. On the far side, a fire was kept in the
poorly ventilated kitchen, a common cause of asthma among rural women in Nicaragua.
There were two sleeping quarters inside the house, plus a dining area and a living area
13