Behind the Mask - Gender Hybridity in a Zapotec Community (Paperback)

The image of biologically male people dancing while dressed in the traditional, colorful attire of Zapotec, Juchiteca, females stands in sharp contrast to the prevailing view of Mexico as the land of charros, machismo, and unbridled ranchero masculinity. These indigenous people are called los muxes, and they are neither man nor woman, but rather a hybrid third gender. After seeing a video of a muxe vela, or festival, sociologist Alfredo Mirande was intrigued by the contradiction between Mexico's patriarchal reputation and its warm acceptance of los muxes. Seeking to get past traditional Mexican masculinity, he presents us with Behind the Mask, which combines historical analysis, ethnographic field research, and interviews conducted with los muxes of Juchitan over a period of seven years. Mirande observed community events, attended muxe velas, and interviewed both muxes and other Juchitan residents. Prefaced by an overview of the study methods and sample, the book challenges the ideology of a male-dominated Mexican society driven by the cult of machismo, featuring photos alongside four appendixes. Delving into many aspects of their lives and culture, the author discusses how the muxes are perceived by others, how the muxes perceive themselves, and the acceptance of a third gender status among various North American indigenous groups. Mirande compares traditional Mexicano/Latino conceptions of gender and sexuality to modern or Western object choice configurations. He concludes by proposing a new hybrid model for rethinking these seemingly contradictory and conflicting gender systems.

General

Imprint:	University of Arizona Press
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	April 2019
Authors:	Alfredo Mirande
Dimensions:	229 x 152 x 26mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	288
ISBN-13:	978-0-8165-3955-0
Categories:	Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Gender studies > General Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Ethnic studies > Indigenous peoples Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Anthropology > Social & cultural anthropology > General
LSN:	0-8165-3955-3
Barcode:	9780816539550

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