The winds of Ixtepeji : world view and society in a Zapotec town

Dr. Michael Kearney (1937–2009) focused his life's work on the study of class, ethnicity, migration, and the theory and ethnography of transnational communities and processes. The Winds of Ixtepeji, his first major publication, is a sociopsychological exploration into the world view and social organization of a Zapotec mountain town called Ixtepeji in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. The main topic is how the Ixtepejanos perceive reality as potentially dangerous: perilous beings abiding in the air and friends and family possessed by envy pose constant threats to self-esteem and interpersonal relationships. Such perceptions affect, and in turn are affected by, the conduct of village life—a life that centers on hard work and a struggle to survive in a harsh environment. Ixtepejanos, who believe they are abandoned to their existence, are also aware of an idealized vision of another world, glimpsed in magazines, movies, and trips to the city. This other world—forever unattainable—is one of unlimited wealth and power, of security and happiness. In an attempt to adjust to their own deficient world, Ixtepejanos repress their desire for better conditions, drink to create a more ideal environment, and disparage themselves—acts that only intensify a barely tolerable existence. Although world view is the prevailing focus of Kearney's cognitive study, other salient features of the cultural and social systems are effectively dealt with and interrelated, including politics, economics, and religion. Title of related interest from Waveland Press: Chinas, La Zandunga: Of Fieldwork and Friendship in Southern Mexico (ISBN 9780881336801). This Account Of How To Become An Anthropologist Doing Fieldwork Relays The Pleasures And Pitfalls That Anthropologist Beverly Chinas Experienced While Studying Women's Roles In The Culture Of The Isthmus Zapotec. The Story Of Her Long- Term Research Allows The Reader To Make Several Trips To The Field In Different Roles: As Graduate Student Gathering Dissertation Material, As Young Professional Pursuing More Sharply Defined Goals, And As Mature Researcher Directing The Work Of Assistants. The Reader Encounters Zapotec Culture And People Through The Eyes Of The Questioning Anthropologist-narrator, Discovers The Methods And Techniques Of Anthropological Investigation, And, Instructed By The Author's Commitment To Her Zapotec Friends, Learns How Friendships May Transcend Cultural Barriers. Pt. 1. Of Fieldwork And Friendship. First Fieldwork : Getting Ready And Getting There -- Beginning -- Questions, Questions -- La Zandunga -- Miracles And Mangoes -- Fieldwork And Fiestas -- Viajeras -- Viajeras Too -- Dona Lucia -- Worst Of Times -- Misfortune, Good Fortune -- Shattered Windows, Shattered Lives -- Que Le Vaya Bien -- The Last Goodbye -- Pt. 2. Returnings. Returnings, 1968-1975 -- 1981-1982 -- 1990, Impressions. Beverly Newbold Chiñas. One of the best accounts of how to become an anthropologist doing fieldwork! Readers will enjoy this insightful portrayal of the pleasures and pitfalls that anthropologist Beverly Chinas experienced while studying women's roles in the culture of the Isthmus Zapotec. The story of her long- term research, told here with honesty and grace, allows the reader to make several trips to the field in different as graduate student gathering dissertation material, as young professional pursuing more sharply defined goals, and as mature researcher directing the work of assistants. The reader encounters Zapotec culture and people through the eyes of the questioning anthropologist-narrator, discovers the methods and techniques of anthropological investigation, and, instructed by the author s commitment to her Zapotec friends, learns how friendships may transcend cultural barriers. Includes eight-page color insert. As I sat at a beverage kiosk in the noon heat and looked about the El Centro plaza, my first impression was that the place was considerably larger, hotter, and dirtier than I expected.