This article presents a comparative exploration of contemporary memory work related to the wars of the second half of the twentieth century in three Central American countries: El Salvador,... Show moreThis article presents a comparative exploration of contemporary memory work related to the wars of the second half of the twentieth century in three Central American countries: El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. It identifies five different heuristic proposals forwarded to explain the essential features of these wars (including their main causes and consequences). I refer to these heuristic proposals respectively as “imposed oblivion,” “war among brothers,” “revolution,” “anti-communism,” and “disillusionment.” Linked to specific political and historical sectors, these heuristic proposals have different levels of traction in each country. Their study allows to visualize the political arena of memory work in each country, while also providing input for an analysis of similarities and differences in war-related memory work between the three countries. Focusing on memory work as a contentious and relatively fragmented political process, the present article contributes to weighing the contemporary impact of war-related memory work in the Central American societies in question. contemporary impact of war-related memory work in the Central American societies in question.This article presents a comparative exploration of contemporary memory work related to the wars of the second half of the twentieth century in three Central American countries: El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. It identifies five different heuristic proposals forwarded to explain the essential features of these wars (including their main causes and consequences). I refer to these heuristic proposals respectively as “imposed oblivion,” “war among brothers,” “revolution,” “anti-communism,” and “disillusionment.” Linked to specific political and historical sectors, these heuristic proposals have diffe-rent levels of traction in each country. Their study allows to visualize the poli-tical arena of memory work in each country, while also providing input for an analysis of similarities and differences in war-related memory work between the three countries. Focusing on memory work as a contentious and relatively fragmented political process, the present article contributes to weighing the contemporary impact of war-related memory work in the Central American societies in questionThis article presents a comparative exploration of contemporary memory work related to the wars of the second half of the twentieth century in three Central American countries: El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. It identifies five different heuristic proposals forwarded to explain the essential features of these wars (including their main causes and consequences). I refer to these heuristic proposals respectively as “imposed oblivion,” “war among brothers,” “revolution,” “anti-communism,” and “disillusionment.” Linked to specific political and historical sectors, these heuristic proposals have diffe-rent levels of traction in each country. Their study allows to visualize the poli-tical arena of memory work in each country, while also providing input for an analysis of similarities and differences in war-related memory work between the three countries. Focusing on memory work as a contentious and relatively fragmented political process, the present article contributes to weighing the contemporary impact of war-related memory work in the Central American societies in question Show less
The existence of communities and peoples develops over time, in a diachronic line of heritage and cultural memory as well as in a synchronous coexistence with the cosmos, marked by a cyclically... Show moreThe existence of communities and peoples develops over time, in a diachronic line of heritage and cultural memory as well as in a synchronous coexistence with the cosmos, marked by a cyclically returning rituals. Under the pressure of “clock time” (“time is money”) these organic “other times” of identity are eroding rapidly. In these respects, modernity has come to be characterised by a deep, dramatic and often violent conflict between traditional values of societies that have their own cultures and the processes of colonisation, urbanisation and and industrialisation, which usually presented as “progress”. This volume brings together complementary reflections of archaeologists, historians, anthropologists, sociologists and social activists on this issue. Central to their work is the perception and representation of time, its different symbolic aspects and its social impact. Espousing a comparatist methodology, the case studies focus on Mexico and Guatemala and on southern Italy. Show less
This thesis analyses the process in which Guatemalan migrants transit through Mexico towards the United States, emphasizing the role played by the financial, human and social capital, and taking... Show moreThis thesis analyses the process in which Guatemalan migrants transit through Mexico towards the United States, emphasizing the role played by the financial, human and social capital, and taking into account the differences in gender and ethnicity. The specific objectives are i) to examine the social demographic profiles and trends of the migrants; ii) to estimate their numeric dimension; iii) to explore the impact of the policy of migration control applied by the Mexican government; iv) to estimate the effect of the vulnerability and poverty levels with respect to the probability of overcoming the transit stage; v) to know who are more exposed to face risks and under what circumstances; vi) to investigate human rights violations and violence experienced by migrants; vii) to analyze the differences in the possession and use of the financial, human and social capital that depend on gender and ethnicity. A methodological triangulation was performed, using quantitative data from the microdata obtained in the Encuesta sobre Migración en Frontera Guatemala-México (EMIF Sur) and the American Community Survey (ACS), among others; as well as qualitative data from interviewed migrants who passed through Mexico. Show less
