Preliminary Findings

Modernity and Violence

The rise of autonomy discourse within indigenous people in San Juan Copala, Oaxaca, Mexico

San Juan Copala

Location

History• 1949 San Juan Copala lost its rank of municipality• 1981 MULT (Movement of Unification and Triqui

Struggle)• 1988 UBISORT (Unity of Social Welfare for the Triqui

Region)• 2006 Declaration of the Autonomous Municipality of San

Juan Copala

Currently social condition

• Poverty• Migration• Violent atmosphere• Political interventionism• Anew wave of social movements

o Indigenous movements in Mexicoo Urban movements in Oaxacao Autonomy building worldwide

General Research Question

What are the elements that account in the construction of new discourses?

Specific questions

How violence is shaping transformation in Copala?Is the transnational community a channel for flowing of discourses?Who are the users of discourse?

Dance in Anniversary of Autonomous Municipality 21/01/08

Theories Transnational community (Kearney and Besserer)

o Copala as an extended community Different problems on different places

o Violenceo Labour rightso Settlementso Human rights

local vs. transnational

La Nueva San Juan Copala, Sonora México

San Quintín, Baja California

Mexico City

San Juan Copala, Oaxaca

Theories

Hirschman's framework about accountability, voice, exit and loyalty

Foucault description of Discourse

Actor Oriented ApproachMultiple Realities

Alternative discourse as a product of modernity

Methods

• Qualitative Researcho Case study

• Collection of datao Direct Interviewo Informal Interviewo Observation

DirectParticipative

Findings (1)

• Migration patterns are shaped by violence rather than by poverty

• Typical migration theories doesn't fit in the case of Triquis from Copala

• Migration is an individual choice of exit but shaped by loyalty issues (group vs family)

• The transnational community doesn't work as an extended community, no strong networking

• New communities are independents to each another

Findings (2)

• The structure of organization has been changed along the time from traditional based on agriculture production to one focused on political activities.

• Used discourses evolved from dependence of the state to resistance.

• Changes in the government policies, weakness in the attention of indigenous affairs

• Autonomy allow them to access into the discourse realm of social networking and media.

Findings (3)

• Age gapo Old organisations (MULT- UBISORT)

CorruptionKeep control by fearDiscredit young people ideasRelationship with government

o Young organisations (AMSJC) Inexperience IdeologyHopePeace

Reflection

Despite of theoretical description about indigenous autonomy and communality building, a small community with huge problems, declares itself "Autonomy Municipality" This event turns around to social actors to review and re-draw, what autonomy means in academic, media and social circles. WHAT MAKE IT POSSIBLE?

New local actors are challenging anew arena for development and a changing global world.

They creatively and unexpectedly have created something what they called Autonomy

As a consequence, Autonomy must be re-defined in order to fit into what communities -in practice- are doing so.