Mayas in the Marketplace

Tourism, Globalization, and Cultural Identity

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Anthropology
Cover of the book Mayas in the Marketplace by Walter E. Little, University of Texas Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Walter E. Little ISBN: 9780292788305
Publisher: University of Texas Press Publication: July 5, 2010
Imprint: University of Texas Press Language: English
Author: Walter E. Little
ISBN: 9780292788305
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Publication: July 5, 2010
Imprint: University of Texas Press
Language: English

Selling handicrafts to tourists has brought the Maya peoples of Guatemala into the world market. Vendors from rural communities now offer their wares to more than 500,000 international tourists annually in the marketplaces of larger cities such as Antigua, Guatemala City, Panajachel, and Chichicastenango. Like businesspeople anywhere, Maya artisans analyze the desires and needs of their customers and shape their products to meet the demands of the market. But how has adapting to the global marketplace reciprocally shaped the identity and cultural practices of the Maya peoples?Drawing on over a decade of fieldwork, Walter Little presents the first ethnographic study of Maya handicraft vendors in the international marketplace. Focusing on Kaqchikel Mayas who commute to Antigua to sell their goods, he explores three significant issues: how the tourist marketplace conflates global and local distinctions. how the marketplace becomes a border zone where national and international, developed and underdeveloped, and indigenous and non-indigenous come together. how marketing to tourists changes social roles, gender relationships, and ethnic identity in the vendors' home communities.Little's wide-ranging research challenges our current understanding of tourism's negative impact on indigenous communities. He demonstrates that the Maya are maintaining a specific, community-based sense of Maya identity, even as they commodify their culture for tourist consumption in the world market.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Selling handicrafts to tourists has brought the Maya peoples of Guatemala into the world market. Vendors from rural communities now offer their wares to more than 500,000 international tourists annually in the marketplaces of larger cities such as Antigua, Guatemala City, Panajachel, and Chichicastenango. Like businesspeople anywhere, Maya artisans analyze the desires and needs of their customers and shape their products to meet the demands of the market. But how has adapting to the global marketplace reciprocally shaped the identity and cultural practices of the Maya peoples?Drawing on over a decade of fieldwork, Walter Little presents the first ethnographic study of Maya handicraft vendors in the international marketplace. Focusing on Kaqchikel Mayas who commute to Antigua to sell their goods, he explores three significant issues: how the tourist marketplace conflates global and local distinctions. how the marketplace becomes a border zone where national and international, developed and underdeveloped, and indigenous and non-indigenous come together. how marketing to tourists changes social roles, gender relationships, and ethnic identity in the vendors' home communities.Little's wide-ranging research challenges our current understanding of tourism's negative impact on indigenous communities. He demonstrates that the Maya are maintaining a specific, community-based sense of Maya identity, even as they commodify their culture for tourist consumption in the world market.

More books from University of Texas Press

Cover of the book Ancient Greek Law in the 21st Century by Walter E. Little
Cover of the book An Appeal to Justice by Walter E. Little
Cover of the book The Unexamined Orwell by Walter E. Little
Cover of the book Inequity in the Technopolis by Walter E. Little
Cover of the book Cultures of Migration by Walter E. Little
Cover of the book A History of Hispanic Theatre in the United States by Walter E. Little
Cover of the book The Last Battle of the Civil War by Walter E. Little
Cover of the book Carlos Lacerda, Brazilian Crusader by Walter E. Little
Cover of the book Sobral Pinto, "The Conscience of Brazil" by Walter E. Little
Cover of the book An Expedition to the Ranquel Indians by Walter E. Little
Cover of the book Riding for the Lone Star by Walter E. Little
Cover of the book In the Company of Scholars by Walter E. Little
Cover of the book This Land Was Mexican Once by Walter E. Little
Cover of the book Supplement to the Handbook of Middle American Indians, Volume 3 by Walter E. Little
Cover of the book Culture and Revolution by Walter E. Little
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy