essay
Cohesive features of guelagetza system in Mitla
Social, political, and economic life in contemporary Oaxaca • Nashville, Tenn. • Published In 1979 • Pages: 91-101
By: Williams, Aubrey W..
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
In this paper the author discusses the system of exchange of economic goods and services--the guelagetza--as it exists in the town of Mitla, Oaxaca. One noticeable effect of this system, operating as it does primarily in major celebrations or ceremonies in which a large amount of wealth is required, is to reaffirm the social position and economic status of its sponsors in terms of the community-at-large. Williams notes, however, that there is a strong tendency for the guelagetza system to be closed to non-Mitlenos, while movement within is open to its membership providing that they are born and bred in Mitla. Thus the guelagetza system '...functions to maintain some semblance of ethnic and cultural purity for its members, as well as to provide economic necessities in times of social need' (p. 100).
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Gift giving
- Mutual aid
- Nuptials
- Visiting and hospitality
- Basis of marriage
- cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- Zapotec
- HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
- 2009
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- Middle America and the Caribbean
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- Central Mexico
- Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
- essay
- Evaluation
- Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
- John Beierle ; Eleanor C. Swanson ; 1980
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- no date
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- not specified
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Town of Mitla, Valley Zapotec, Oaxaca, Mexico
- NotesAdditional notes
- Aubrey Williams
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 101)
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 80108823
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- Zapotec Indians