Rancheros y el Estado mexicano : la construcción del honor a través del poder
This research aims to examine a cattle ranchers’ society in a community located in north Jalisco: Colotlán. I will study its relationship with the environment, its economy involved in national and international markets, its political configuration (considering its links with the state) and its symbolism, that includes their work ethics. My analysis has allowed me to identify different forms of relationship among peers and the values, the affective dimensions, and the representations that derive from them. I propose the existence of a certain type of social formation that can be called “honorable society” due to the importance of the traditions that concern their main economic activity, as well as its identity founded on moral values and rules linked to honor. I analyze the connection of power with politics and the way political power is built, the existing links between honor and power, and how people build honor through power. This society has suffered the increasing impact of modernizing practices and ideologies, with attempts at institutionalization through national and state interests.   Relying on a methodology that combines research in historical archives and extensive fieldwork, this thesis aims to contribute to the studies of cultural identities, in which honor occupies a central place in the context of the relationship between rancher communities and the state.
Identity Honor Cattle ranchers Farmers Power State