A Sociogenetic Approach to Migration and Urbanization in Peruvian Amazonia

This chapter addresses what is termed “sociogenetic cosmopolitanism,” the dynamic interplay of social and genetic forces underpinning migration and urbanization. The constant movement of people and communities in Peru’s Huallaga River Valley is influenced by the variegated ecosystems of the Amazon, the vagaries of regional labor markets, and the exigencies of sociopolitical life in Peru. Four primary causes of migration in the Huallaga Valley are addressed: (1) environment and political economy, (2) infrastructure, (3) lifeways, and (4) violence and social upheaval. The consequences of modern migration and urbanization in Peruvian Amazonia include a marked transition in biodemography, an increase in genetic diversity markers, and a discernable shift in nucleotide-level population architecture. Profound sociocultural transformations, namely a move from rural and agrarian-based lifeways to urban, market-driven experiences, have accompanied such trends.