The Global Imaginary Architecture From Fiske's Stereotype Model

This study examines the global perception of Ecuadorian architecture through Susan Fiske's Stereotype Content Model (SCM), revealing how the "noble savage" myth perpetuates reductionist representations of Latin American architectural production. The research employs a qualitative interpretive methodology, analyzing international digital publications. Using Fiske's validation framework, the analysis demonstrates how Ecuadorian architecture is systematically positioned within the paternalism quadrant—characterized by high warmth but low competence perceptions. This categorization generates condescending emotions that reduce architectural production to exotic spectacle rather than recognizing its technical and intellectual sophistication, as evidenced in international curatorial discourse and media coverage patterns. The study identifies three critical phenomena: the "ghost of the noble savage" that romanticizes poverty and resourcefulness; invisibilized trajectories that marginalize local pioneers and innovations; and regional diversities that challenge homogenizing stereotypes. Through cross-validation of project categorization within SCM quadrants, the research maps how architectural stereotypes produce specific social emotions—particularly condescending sympathy—that perpetuate symbolic inequality and prevent critical interlocution between center and periphery. The research proposes a pedagogical shift in architectural education, advocating for hybridization as critical appropriation rather than stylistic fusion. By moving from paternalistic to admiring perceptions (high warmth + high competence), the study calls for reconfiguring how Global South architecture is evaluated, moving beyond primitive authenticity narratives toward recognition of complex, situated, and technically solvent architectural practices that deserve horizontal inclusion in international discourse.