Watching Lacandon Maya Lives

The Lacandon Maya have been affected by the international oil economy, tourism, and political unrest, leading to dramatic cultural changes in their rainforest farming community. Watching Lacandon Maya Lives examines these changes, including family, industry, religion, health, and gender roles, and discusses anthropological theory in accessible language. The second edition includes revised introductions, a new chapter on finding an income, and a chapter on lessons learned from 40 years of experience as an ethnographer.

Format: Hardback
Length: 230 pages
Publication date: 22 February 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Although romanticized as the last of the ancient Maya living isolated in the forest, several generations of the Lacandon Maya have had their lives shaped by the international oil economy, tourism, and political unrest. Watching Lacandon Maya Lives is an examination of dramatic cultural changes in a Maya rainforest farming community over the last forty years, including changes to their families, industries, religion, health and healing practices, and gender roles. The book contains several discussions of anthropological theory in accessible, jargon-free language, including how the use of different theoretical perspectives impacts an ethnographer's fieldwork experience. While relating his own mishaps, experiences of community strife, and conflicts, Jon McGee encourages students to shed the romantic veil through which ethnographies are usually viewed and think more deeply about how events in our own lives influence how we understand the behavior of people around us.

New to the Second Edition: Revised Introduction incorporates the author's recent work with the Lacandon and discussions of anthropological writing, culture theory, and how events in the author's personal life have changed his approach to anthropological fieldwork. Revised chapter, "Finding an Income in the Lacandon Jungle" focuses on families who have shifted from a subsistence farming economy to earning revenue by renting facilities to tourists, owning small community stores, working as hired labor for archaeologists, or make use of a variety of government rural aid programs created in the last two decades (Chapter 5). New chapter, "Forty Years Among the Lacandon: Some Lessons Learned," discusses what the author's 40 years of experience as an ethnographer has taught him about the discipline of anthropology and the c.

The Lacandon Maya have faced significant cultural changes over the last forty years, shaped by the international oil economy, tourism, and political unrest. Watching Lacandon Maya Lives examines these changes, including family dynamics, industry shifts, religious practices, health and healing, and gender roles. The book offers accessible discussions of anthropological theory, highlighting the impact of different perspectives on fieldwork. Author Jon McGee shares his experiences, mishaps, and conflicts, encouraging students to question the romanticized view of ethnographies and consider how their own lives influence their understanding of others.

The Second Edition includes a revised introduction, incorporating the author's recent work with the Lacandon and discussions of anthropological writing, culture theory, and personal experiences. The chapter "Finding an Income in the Lacandon Jungle" explores families' transition from subsistence farming to income-generating activities, such as renting facilities to tourists, owning small stores, working as laborers for archaeologists, or utilizing government rural aid programs. The new chapter, "Forty Years Among the Lacandon: Some Lessons Learned," reflects the author's 40 years of experience as an ethnographer, offering insights into the discipline of anthropology and the challenges faced in fieldwork.

Weight: 544g
Dimension: 240 x 156 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538126165
Edition number: Second Edition