Yanantin and Masintin in the Andean World

<p><em>Yanantin and Masintin in the Andean World</em> is an eloquently written autoethnography in which researcher Hillary S. Webb seeks to understand the indigenous Andean concept of <em>yanantin</em> or "complementary opposites." One of the most well-known and defining characteristics of indigenous Andean thought yanantin is an adherence to a philosophical model based on the belief that the polarities of existence (such as male/ female dark/light inner/outer) are interdependent and essential parts of a harmonious whole.</p><p>Webb embarks on a personal journey of understanding the yanantin worldview of complementary duality through participant observation and reflection on her individual experience. Her investigation is a thoughtful careful and rich analysis of the variety of ways in which cultures make meaning of the world around them and how deeply attached we become to our own culturally imposed meaning-making strategies.</p>