Economic Life of Mexican Beach Vendors


Book Description

Based on the life histories of 166 beach vendors in three Mexican tourist centers--men and women whose income-generating activities form part of the informal or semi-informal economy--Economic Life of Mexican Beach Vendors explores their educational and employment aspirations and their family connections to vending. It also addresses how the vendors have been affected by the current economic recession, their residential segregation in neighborhoods far from the tourist zones, and the special cases of indigenous and of women vendors.




Economic Life of Mexican Beach Vendors


Book Description

Economic Life of Mexican Beach Vendors: Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas is based on interviews with 82 men and 84 women who vend their wares on beaches in three Mexican tourist centers. Assuming that some people may actively choose self-employment in the informal or semi-informal economy, the employment and educational aspirations of the vendors and their levels of satisfaction with their work are explored. Most of the vendors had other family members who were also vendors, and 75 (45.2 percent) had 5 or more family members who vended, most usually on Mexican beaches. The vendors are aware of the forces of globalization (though they do not express these forces in those words), as revealed by their responses to questions as to how the current world economic recession has affected them. The beach vendors live in essentially segregated neighborhoods that can be considered apartheid-like, far from the tourist zones. Most of the vendors or their parents are rural-to-urban migrants and cross ethnic, linguistic, and economic borders as they migrate to and work in what have been called transnational social spaces. Of the vendors interviewed, 82 (49.4 percent) speak an indigenous language, and of these, 60 (73.2 percent) speak Nahuatl. The majority are from the state of Guerrero, but there were also Zapotec-speakers from Oaxaca. Both indigenous and non-indigenous women take part in beach vending. They are often wives, daughters, or sisters of male beach vendors, and they may be single, married, living in free union, or widowed. Their income is often of central importance to the household economy. This monograph aims to bring their stories to tourists and to scholars and students of tourism development and /or the informal or semi-informal economy in Mexican tourist centers.




Anthropological Considerations of Production, Exchange, Vending and Tourism


Book Description

Volume 37 of REA features eleven original articles organized in four different sections, each focusing on a specific, popular and significant theme in economic anthropology: production, exchange, vending, and tourism.




Production, Consumption, Business and the Economy


Book Description

This volume is divided into four main sections, these focus on: commodities and their social meanings; anthropological investigation of business systems and practices; the economic importance of productive land in culture and society; and a showcase of new research on the economic anthropology of Latin America.




Moon Puerto Vallarta: With Sayulita, the Riviera Nayarit & Costalegre


Book Description

Towering mountains and turquoise sea, street food and cutting-edge cuisine, old-world vibes and world-class luxury: Explore a tropical paradise full of surprises with Moon Puerto Vallarta. Inside you'll find: Strategic, flexible itineraries with ideas for outdoor adventurers, beach bums, surfers, budget travelers, wellness seekers, and more, including a Costalegre road trip The top outdoor adventures: Snorkel in the crystal-clear ocean, spot humpback whales and sea turtles out on the bay, or take a surfing lesson. Catch a sunset on the beach, go standup paddle boarding, or escape to the misty Sierra Madres for a hike Must-see highlights and unique experiences: Enjoy tacos from a street vendor, feast on Mexican delicacies at a waterfront restaurant, or drop anchor and grill your freshly-caught fish in a palapa. Shop from local artists along the Malecón, or spend a day volunteering at a turtle rescue camp. Visit a tequila distillery, sample local raicilla, and dance to cumbia as the sun sets over the beach How to experience Puerto Vallarta like an insider, support local and sustainable businesses, avoid crowds, and respectfully engage with the culture Expert insight from local writer Madeline Milne Full-color photos and detailed maps throughout Reliable background information on the landscape, climate, wildlife, and history, as well as common customs and etiquette Handy tools including a Spanish phrasebook, packing suggestions, and travel tips for families with kids, seniors, travelers with disabilities, travelers of color, and LGBTQ+ travelers Experience the best of Puerto Vallarta with Moon. Exploring more of Mexico? Check out Moon Baja, Moon Oaxaca, or Moon Mexico City. About Moon Travel Guides: Moon was founded in 1973 to empower independent, active, and conscious travel. We prioritize local businesses, outdoor recreation, and traveling strategically and sustainably. Moon Travel Guides are written by local, expert authors with great stories to tell—and they can't wait to share their favorite places with you. For more inspiration, follow @moonguides on social media.




Stuck with Tourism


Book Description

Tourism has become one of the most powerful forces organizing the predatory geographies of late capitalism. It creates entangled futures of exploitation and dependence, extracting resources and labor, and eclipsing other ways of doing, living, and imagining life. And yet, tourism also creates jobs, encourages infrastructure development, and in many places inspires the only possibility of hope and well-being. Stuck with Tourism explores the ambivalent nature of tourism by drawing on ethnographic evidence from the Mexican Yucatán Peninsula, a region voraciously transformed by tourism development over the past forty years. Contrasting labor and lived experiences at the beach resorts of Cancún, protected natural enclaves along the Gulf coast, historical buildings of the colonial past, and maquilas for souvenir production in the Maya heartland, this book explores the moral, political, ecological, and everyday dilemmas that emerge when, as Yucatán’s inhabitants put it, people get stuck in tourism’s grip.




The Reinvention of Mexico in Contemporary Spanish Travel Writing


Book Description

The long history of transatlantic movement in the Spanish-speaking world has had a significant impact on present-day concepts of Mexico and the implications of representing Mexico and Latin America more generally in Spain, Europe, and throughout the world. In addition to analyzing texts that have received little to no critical attention, this book examines the connections between contemporary travel, including the local dynamics of encounters and the global circulation of information, and the significant influence of the history of exchange between Spain and Mexico in the construction of existing ideas of place. To frame the analysis of contemporary travel writing, author Jane Hanley examines key moments in the history of Mexican-Spanish relations, including the origins of narratives regarding Spaniards' sense of Mexico's similarity to and difference from Spain. This history underpins the discussion of the role of Spanish travelers in their encounters with Mexican peoples and places and their reflection on their own role as communicators of cultural meaning and participants in the tourist economy with its impact—both negative and positive—on places.




Moon Puerto Vallarta


Book Description

Towering mountains and turquoise sea, street food and cutting-edge cuisine, old-world vibes and world-class luxury: Explore a tropical paradise full of surprises with Moon Puerto Vallarta. Inside you'll find: Flexible itineraries for spending time in Puerto Vallarta, Banderas Bay North, Sayulita, and the Riviera Nayarit, including a Costalegre road trip Strategic advice for outdoor adventurers, beach bums, surfers, budget travelers, wellness seekers, and more The top outdoor adventures: Go snorkeling in the crystal-clear ocean, spot humpback whales and sea turtles out on the bay, or take a surfing lesson. Soak up on the sun on soft beaches and take a dip in warm waters, go standup paddle boarding, or escape to the misty Sierra Madres Must-see highlights and unique experiences: Enjoy tacos from a street vendor, feast on Mexican delicacies at a waterfront restaurant, or drop anchor and grill your freshly-caught fish in a palapa. Shop from local artists along the Malecón, or spend a day volunteering at a turtle rescue camp. Visit a tequila distillery, sample local raicilla, and dance to cumbia as the sun sets over the beach How to experience Puerto Vallarta like an insider, support local and sustainable businesses, avoid crowds, and respectfully engage with the culture Expert insight from local author Madeline Milne on where to eat, how to get around, and where to stay, from glamping and jungle lodges to luxury resorts Full-color photos and detailed maps throughout Reliable background information on the landscape, climate, wildlife, and history, as well as common customs and etiquette Handy tools including a Spanish phrasebook, packing suggestions, and travel tips for families with kids, seniors, travelers with disabilities, and LGBTQ travelers Experience Puerto Vallarta your way with Moon's practical tips and local know-how. Exploring more of Mexico? Check out Moon Tijuana, Ensenada & Valle de Guadalupe Wine Country.




Cultural Anthropology: 101


Book Description

This concise and accessible introduction establishes the relevance of cultural anthropology for the modern world through an integrated, ethnographically informed approach. The book develops readers’ understanding and engagement by addressing key issues such as: What it means to be human The key characteristics of culture as a concept Relocation and dislocation of peoples The conflict between political, social and ethnic boundaries The concept of economic anthropology Cultural Anthropology: 101 includes case studies from both classic and contemporary ethnography, as well as a comprehensive bibliography and index. It is an essential guide for students approaching this fascinating field for the first time.




Cultural Anthropology


Book Description

Cultural Anthropology: Global Forces, Local Lives presents all the key areas of cultural anthropology as well as providing original and nuanced coverage of current and cutting-edge topics. An exceptionally clear and readable introduction, it helps students understand the application of anthropological concepts to the contemporary world and everyday life. Thorough treatment is given throughout the text to issues such as globalization, colonialism, ethnicity, nationalism, neoliberalism, and the state. Changes for the third edition include a brand new chapter on medical anthropology and an updated range of cases studies with a fresh thematic focus on China. The book contains a number of features to support student learning, including: A wealth of color images Definitions of key terms and further reading suggestions in the margins Summaries at the end of every chapter An extensive glossary, bibliography and index.