In this Book

summary
This book concerns the aesthetic, political, and socio-political 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 defiantly in the area, 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.

Table of Contents

restricted access Download Full Book
  1. Cover
  2. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Contents
  2. p. v
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Preface [Includes Image Plates]
  2. pp. vii-xiii
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 1. Introductory Case Study: Tales Told by a Pillowcase from Chiapas
  2. pp. 3-34
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 2. Crafts and Tourism in Oaxaca
  2. pp. 35-73
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 3. Tradition and Tourism in Festival Life: Shaping and Marketing Oaxaca’s Guelaguetza
  2. pp. 74-103
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 4. Southern Mexican Contemporary Traditional Culture That Is Little Affected by Tourism
  2. pp. 104-134
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 5. Things Fall Apart: Attacks on Tourism in Oaxaca and the Prospects for Recovery
  2. pp. 135-171
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Notes
  2. pp. 173-175
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. References
  2. pp. 177-183
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Index
  2. pp. 185-192
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
Back To Top

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Without cookies your experience may not be seamless.