In this Book
- Behind the Mask: Gender Hybridity in a Zapotec Community
- Book
- 2017
- Published by: University of Arizona Press
summary
The image of biologically male people dancing while dressed in the traditional, colorful attire of Zapotec, Juchiteca, females stands in sharp contrast to the prevailing view of Mexico as the land of charros, machismo, and unbridled ranchero masculinity. These indigenous people are called los muxes, and they are neither man nor woman, but rather a hybrid third gender.
After seeing a video of a muxe vela, or festival, sociologist Alfredo Mirandé was intrigued by the contradiction between Mexico’s patriarchal reputation and its warm acceptance of los muxes. Seeking to get past traditional Mexican masculinity, he presents us with Behind the Mask, which combines historical analysis, ethnographic field research, and interviews conducted with los muxes of Juchitán over a period of seven years. Mirandé observed community events, attended muxe velas, and interviewed both muxes and other Juchitán residents. Prefaced by an overview of the study methods and sample, the book challenges the ideology of a male-dominated Mexican society driven by the cult of machismo, featuring photos alongside four appendixes.
Delving into many aspects of their lives and culture, the author discusses how the muxes are perceived by others, how the muxes perceive themselves, and the acceptance of a third gender status among various North American indigenous groups. Mirandé compares traditional Mexicano/Latino conceptions of gender and sexuality to modern or Western object choice configurations. He concludes by proposing a new hybrid model for rethinking these seemingly contradictory and conflicting gender systems.
After seeing a video of a muxe vela, or festival, sociologist Alfredo Mirandé was intrigued by the contradiction between Mexico’s patriarchal reputation and its warm acceptance of los muxes. Seeking to get past traditional Mexican masculinity, he presents us with Behind the Mask, which combines historical analysis, ethnographic field research, and interviews conducted with los muxes of Juchitán over a period of seven years. Mirandé observed community events, attended muxe velas, and interviewed both muxes and other Juchitán residents. Prefaced by an overview of the study methods and sample, the book challenges the ideology of a male-dominated Mexican society driven by the cult of machismo, featuring photos alongside four appendixes.
Delving into many aspects of their lives and culture, the author discusses how the muxes are perceived by others, how the muxes perceive themselves, and the acceptance of a third gender status among various North American indigenous groups. Mirandé compares traditional Mexicano/Latino conceptions of gender and sexuality to modern or Western object choice configurations. He concludes by proposing a new hybrid model for rethinking these seemingly contradictory and conflicting gender systems.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- List of Illustrations
- pp. ix-x
- Introduction
- pp. 3-27
- 2. Sex, Sexuality, and Power
- pp. 48-60
- 3. Doing Gender in Juchitán
- pp. 61-104
- 4. A Blessing from God?: Muxe Narratives
- pp. 105-129
- 5. Community Acceptance
- pp. 130-162
- 6. Two-Spirit Muxe Zapotec Identity
- pp. 163-175
- Conclusion: Lessons from the Field
- pp. 200-218
- Appendix A. Muxe Respondents
- pp. 219-224
- Appendix B. Muxe Occupations
- pp. 225-226
- Appendix D. Community Respondents
- pp. 229-232
- References
- pp. 245-258
Additional Information
ISBN
9780816536252
Related ISBN(s)
9780816535446, 9780816539550
MARC Record
OCLC
969446367
Pages
283
Launched on MUSE
2017-02-14
Language
English
Open Access
No
Copyright
2017