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Maya Saints and Souls in a Changing World John M. Watanabe

Maya Saints and Souls in a Changing World By John M. Watanabe

Maya Saints and Souls in a Changing World by John M. Watanabe


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Summary

An ethnography of a Mam-speaking Maya town in the western highlands of Guatemala.

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Maya Saints and Souls in a Changing World Summary

Maya Saints and Souls in a Changing World by John M. Watanabe

The Maya of Santiago Chimaltenango have experienced increasingly rapid, even violent, integration into Guatemalan society in the last fifty years, yet they still distinguish themselves ethnically from Spanish-speaking Guatemalans and other Maya. Why this sense of ethnic identity persists-and also changes-over time is the focus of Maya Saints and Souls in a Changing World, a beautifully written ethnography of a Mam-speaking Maya town in the western highlands of Guatemala.

John Watanabe uniquely explores how Chimaltecos themselves define their local distinctiveness. This approach uncovers significant continuities in lifeways and world view that might otherwise remain imperceptible to an outsider.

Another important feature of the study is that it updates Charles Wagley's pioneering research in the community during the 1930s. Watanabe identifies both the external, historical factors that have prompted change in the community since Wagley's time and the people's responses to these changes.

Maya Saints and Souls in a Changing World Reviews

Watanabe's work, in its combination of theoretical analysis and ethnographic sensitivity, surpasses anything that has come out of the field of Mesoamerican studies in quite some time. It should be essential reading for students of the region, and it will make for a good undergraduate teaching tool. * Hispanic American Historical Review *

About John M. Watanabe

John Watanabe is Associate Professor of Anthropology at Darmouth College.

Table of Contents

  • Preface
  • Note on the Pronunciation of Mam Words
  • Part One. Past and Present
    • 1. Introduction
    • 2. Santiago Chimaltenango
  • Part Two. Saints and Souls
    • 3. The Conventions of Community
    • 4. The Conventions of Morality
    • 5. The Conventions of Responsibility
  • Part Three. A Changing World
    • 6. From Livelihood to Labor
    • 7. The Struggle for Sovereignty
    • 8. A Quest for Meaning
    • 9. Conclusion
  • Notes
  • Glossary
  • References
  • Index

Additional information

CIN0292751419LN
9780292751415
0292751419
Maya Saints and Souls in a Changing World by John M. Watanabe
Used - Like New
Paperback
University of Texas Press
19920501
296
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
The book has been read, but looks new. The book cover has no visible wear, and the dust jacket is included if applicable. No missing or damaged pages, no tears, possible very minimal creasing, no underlining or highlighting of text, and no writing in the margins

Customer Reviews - Maya Saints and Souls in a Changing World