After the Second World War mass tourism has increased worldwide and has affected almost all countries. Mexico has become a ‘major tourist destination’ and also ethic tourism has taken off, because tourists became more interested in the indigenous cultures and search for authenticity. Nowadays ethnic tourism makes up ‘10% of Mexico’s tourism sector’ (Van Den Berghe 568). This essay will especially examine the commoditisation of the Maya identity; Maya was ‘a highly developed Mesoamerican culture centred in the Yucatán peninsula of Mexico’ (McKay et al 307). Over the last two decades Western tourists have become interested in Indian cultures, traditions and artefacts and they would like to see ‘living Maya culture’, therefore tour guides, tourees, middlemen and artisans have started to work in the ethnic tourism sector. According to Medina ‘The commoditization of culture for tourism may involve the utilization of new channels to access cultural traditions of great antiquity’ (354). To illustrate this: only 20.5% of the inhabitants of San Jose Succotz identifies with the Maya culture (Medina 360). Maya culture is less available through lived experience, because Maya languages and rituals disappear, therefore villagers working in the ethnic tourism sector have to gain knowledge by utilizing other, new channels. Ethic tourism often develops around archaeological sites; tour guides will take tourists to Maya ruins and transfer knowledge that they had gained from the ethnographers, archaeologists, and epigraphers (Medina 362). Some people argue that this ‘staged culture’ is not similar to the ‘authentic culture’. It might be possible that the culture transferred to the tourists at the moment is different from the way Mayans used to do. H...
... middle of paper ...
...e Succotz and San Cristobal is depending on the tourists.
Works Cited
Barker, Chris. ‘Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice’. SAGE Publications 4th edition 2012
Breglia, Lisa C. ‘Mayas in the Marketplace: Tourism, Globalization and Cultural Identity by Walter E Little’. Wesleyan University, USA. 2004.
Van Den Berghe, Piere L. 1992. ‘Tourism and the ethnic division of labour’. University of Washington, USA. pp 234-249
Van Den Berghe, Piere L. 1995. ‘Marketing Mayas – Ethnic Tourism Promotion in Mexico’ University of Washington, USA. pp 568-588
Little, Walter E. 2004 ‘Performing Tourism: Maya Women's Strategies’
Austin: University of Texas, 2004.
McKay et al. 2012 ‘A History of World Societies’ Ninth Edition. Bedford/St. Martin’s, USA.
Medina, Laurie Kroshus. 2003 ‘Commoditizing Culture – Tourism and Maya Identity’. Michigan State University, USA. pp 353-368
As far back as Rigoberta Manchu can remember, her life has been divided between the highlands of Guatemala and the low country plantations called the fincas. Routinely, Rigoberta and her family spent eight months working here under extremely poor conditions, for rich Guatemalans of Spanish descent. Starvation malnutrition and child death were common occurrence here; rape and murder were not unfamiliar too. Rigoberta and her family worked just as hard when they resided in their own village for a few months every year. However, when residing here, Rigoberta’s life was centered on the rituals and traditions of her community, many of which gave thanks to the natural world. When working in the fincas, she and her people struggled to survive, living at the mercy of wealthy landowners in an overcrowded, miserable environment. By the time Rigoberta was eight years old she was hard working and ...
In her study of the sixteenth century Maya, Inga Clendinnen quotes Antonio de Ciudad Real, saying “when the Spaniards discovered this land, their leader asked the Indians how it was called; as they did not understand him, they said uic athan, which means, what do you say or what do you speak, that we do not understand you. And then the Spaniard ordered it set down that it be called Yucatan.” Mutual misunderstanding and incommensurability play many key roles in colonial relations between the Spanish missionaries and the Maya. Social and cultural relations and the effects of misunderstanding between the Maya and Spaniards greatly affected daily life and caused great unrest
The article written by Alexis Celeste Bunten called “Sharing culture or selling out?” talks about the theory of “commodified persona” or the “self commodification” of a tourism worker in Sitka and how capitalism has influenced the way a tour guide is presented. Chapter eleven in Charles C. Mann’s book called “1491, New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus” is a slight summary of the second half of the book which talks about how similar Indians were more advanced than the colonists and that we should accept the fact that indigenous people and their societies have influenced American culture.
Guatemala’s culture is a unique product of Native American ways and a strong Spanish colonial heritage. About half of Guatemala’s population is mestizo (known in Guatemala as ladino), people of mixed European and indigenous ancestry. Ladino culture is dominant in urban areas, and is heavily influenced by European and North American trends. Unlike many Latin American countries, Guatemala still has a large indigenous population, the Maya, which has retained a distinct identity. Deeply rooted in the rural highlands of Guatemala, many indigenous people speak a Mayan language, follow traditional religious and village customs, and continue a rich tradition in textiles and other crafts. The two cultures have made Guatemala a complex society that is deeply divided between rich and poor. This division has produced much of the tension and violence that have marked Guatemala’s history (Guatemalan Culture and History).
The Sacramento Bee. (n.d.). Mexico Launches Mayan Tourism Campaign for 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2012, from mexicomeetingsnetwork.com: http://www.mexicomeetingsnetwork.com/news/mexico-launches-mayan-tourism-campaign-2012
Mott, N. (2012) Why the Maya Fell: Climate Change, Conflict—And a Trip to the Beach? [online]
Boulder: University Press of Colorado, 2009. Print. The. Houston, Stephen. A. “Classic Maya Religion: Beliefs and practices of an Ancient American People.”
Mayan culture existed a thousand years ago, in what is now part of Central America. Its ruins were almost entirely abandoned by 600 A.D, and were not rediscovered until the early 1500’s, by Spanish settlers. Mayan architecture astounded the early conquistadors, and continues to be of great interest to modern archeologists as well. These scientists have labeled a certain period of Mayan architectural history as the “Classic” period.
Thompson, Eric, J. (1966). The rise and fall of the Maya civilization. Norman, OK, U.S.A:
(2003). P. Jeffrey (Ed.), The Human Tradition in Mexico (p. 181). Willmington, DE: SR Books.
Taylor, Jacqueline Sanchez. “Se x Tourism in the Carribean.” Tourism and Sex: Culture, Commerce and Coercion . Ed. Stephen Clift and Simon Carter. London; New York: Pinter, 2000 Clift. 187 -215.
The Mayan Civilization dates to thousands of years old. When people think of the Mayan’s they mostly think of the Mayan calender, which is the one we use now in days. According to our text book “The Cultures”, states “that it takes exactly 52 yrs. of 365 days for a given day to repeat itself.” When we think of the Mayan’s that’s not all that we should think about. Their history goes on beyond that. Mayans were typically those from central America and Mexico who had a completely indigenous way of living. According to our textbook “The Humanities Culture, Continuity & Change”, at around 900 ce, The Mayan civilization collapsed. “Some reasons include overpopulation and accompanying ecological degradation, political competition, along with war”.
...as mayas: los efectos de género, etnia, pobreza, y la residencia en la educación en Guatemala (pp. 145-175). Nueva York: Consejo de Población.
From 2000 BC to 900 AD, located in Mesoamerica, the Maya Civilization possessed many successes, especially throughout the Classic period. The Maya Civilization maintained individual states that governed themselves. As a result of individual cities, many things were discovered, such as new ways of farming, math, and astronomy. The Maya Civilization can be divided into three periods, the Preclassic, the Classic, and the Post classic. Through these periods the Maya rose to it’s height, becoming a very successful empire. The Maya Empire was able to gain and maintain power through trade, the development of math and astronomy, and the use of resources the Maya obtained around them.
Tourism is known to contribute to the social and cultural changes in host societies. It creates obvious effects upon the economy as well as the physical environment of a destination. The tourism industry has been ridiculed due to the negative and positive impacts and causes it causes to host destinations. An extensive range of literature declares that the tourism industry has contributed a positive role when it comes to the social-economic development of many destinations (Matheison and Wall, 2006).In contrast many other literature claims that it can create negative impacts on the environment, culture and society of a host destination (Sharpley, 1999). In recent years cultural tourism has become extremely popular with tourists in search of experiencing different cultures. Due to the large amount of tourist travelling in search of culture this can cause impacts to a destination the impacts that are caused is depends upon varies factors such as the attitudes, values and beliefs which a person brings with them as well as those of the residence of the host destination when interacting with each