Made in Mexico [electronic resource] : Tradition, Tourism, and Political Ferment in Oaxaca

ISBN:

9781604737974

Title:

Author:

Goertzen, Chris.

Personal Author:

Goertzen, Chris.

Publication Information:

Jackson : University Press of Mississippi, 2010.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (207 p.)

General Note:

Description based upon print version of record.

Contents:

Cover; Contents; Preface; 1. Introductory Case Study: Tales Told by a Pillowcase from Chiapas; 2. Crafts and Tourism in Oaxaca; 3. Tradition and Tourism in Festival Life: Shaping and Marketing Oaxaca's Guelaguetza; 4. Southern Mexican Contemporary Traditional Culture That Is Little Affected by Tourism; 5. Things Fall Apart: Attacks on Tourism in Oaxaca and the Prospects for Recovery; Notes; References; Index

Subject Term:

Festivals -- Mexico -- Oaxaca (State).

Handicraft -- Mexico -- Oaxaca (State).

Heritage tourism -- Mexico -- Oaxaca (State).

Oaxaca (Mexico : State) -- Social conditions.

Textile crafts -- Economic aspects -- Mexico -- Case studies.

Format:

Electronic Resources

Electronic Access:

Click here to view book

Publication Date:

2010

Publication Information:

Jackson : University Press of Mississippi, 2010.

Available:*

Shelf Number	Material Type	Copy	Shelf Location	Status
338.47917274	1:E-BOOK	1	1:ON-DEMAND	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Made in Mexico examines the aesthetic, political, and sociopolitical aspects of tourism in southern Mexico, particularly in the state of Oaxaca. Tourists seeking "authenticity" buy crafts and festival tickets and spend even more on travel expenses. What does a craft object or a festival moment need to look like or sound like to please both tradition bearers and tourists in terms of aesthetics? Under what conditions are transactions between these parties psychologically healthy and sustainable? What political factors can interfere with the success of this negotiation, and what happens when the process breaks down? With Subcommandante Marcos and the Zapatistas still operating in neighboring Chiapas and unrest on the rise in Oaxaca itself, these are not merely theoretical problems.

Chris Goertzen analyzes the nature and meaning of a single craft object, a woven pillowcase from Chiapas, thus previewing what the book will accomplish in greater depth in Oaxaca. He introduces the book's guiding concepts, especially concerning the types of aesthetic intensification that have replaced fading cultural contexts, and the tragic partnership between ethnic distinctiveness and oppressive politics. He then brings these concepts to bear on crafts in Oaxaca and on Oaxaca's Guelaguetza, the anchor for tourism in the state and a festival with an increasingly contested meaning.

Author Notes

Chris Goertzen is author of Fiddling for Norway: Revival and Identity ; Southern Fiddlers and Fiddle Contests ; George P. Knauff's "Virginia Reels" and the History of American Fiddling; and American Antebellum Fiddling , the latter three published by University Press of Mississippi.

Reviews (1)

Choice Review

Goertzen's study of Mexican handcraft traditions and tourism is at once a concise, fascinating survey and an eclectic consideration of lived experience. The heart of the study is a first-person consideration of crafts and the combination of strategic and creative choices made by the artisans who produce them for the tourist market. Goertzen (music history, Univ. of Southern Mississippi) examines the carefully calibrated production of ceramics, carved wooden figures, and handwoven rugs in the region. He then considers Oaxaca's Guelaguetza festival, when villages from across the region present dances intended, as are the handcrafts, as representations of living tradition. A crucial chapter on weaving in San Cristobal de las Casas in the state of Chiapas presents the touchstone concept of "intensification" in craft production, but it is disconcerting as well, because it moves beyond Oaxaca. Goertzen's concise discussions use numerous black-and-white photographs to contextualize each topic within its regional history and the relevant contemporary politics. The study's best parts document the dynamic strategies employed by craft producers to satisfy their own sense of tradition while appealing to tourist buyers. Some topics, such as the worldview tourists bring to bear in these exchanges, are not fully explored. An interesting, carefully considered study accessible to undergraduates. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries. J. M. Rosenthal Western Connecticut State University