The Political Economy of Linguistic and Social Exchange Among The
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Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2012 Mayas, Markets, and Multilingualism: The Political Economy of Linguistic and Social Exchange in Cobá, Quintana Roo, Mexico Stephanie Joann Litka Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES MAYAS, MARKETS, AND MULTILINGUALISM: THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF LINGUISTIC AND SOCIAL EXCHANGE IN COBÁ, QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO By STEPHANIE JOANN LITKA A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Anthropology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Copyright 2012 Stephanie JoAnn Litka All Rights Reserved Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2012 Stephanie JoAnn Litka defended this dissertation on October 28, 2011 . The members of the supervisory committee were: Michael Uzendoski Professor Directing Dissertation Robinson Herrera University Representative Joseph Hellweg Committee Member Mary Pohl Committee Member Gretchen Sunderman Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the [thesis/treatise/dissertation] has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii For the people of Cobá, Mexico Who opened their homes, jobs, and hearts to me iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My fieldwork in Cobá was generously funded by the National Science Foundation, the Florida State University Center for Creative Research, and the Tinker Field Grant. I extend heartfelt gratitude to each organization for their support. In Mexico, I thank first and foremost the people of Cobá who welcomed me into their community over twelve years ago. I consider this town my second home and cherish the life-long friendships that have developed during this time. In particular, I want to thank my host family for their continuous support in my academic endeavors, including my ‘parents’ Doña Crecencia May Balam and Don Alejandro Xook Tuz, and my ‘siblings’ Ismael, Gertrudis, Teresa, Timoteo, Juan, and Pablo. A special appreciation goes to my other ‘sibling’ Noemí, who spent countless hours helping me translate recorded Yucatec material and helping me adjust to daily life in Cobá. She is the mother of my two god-daughters, Alejandra and Ximena, and has been a dear friend since my initial visit to Mexico in 1999. In addition to community members in Cobá, I would like to thank the Maya scholars who have assisted me in various ways with my linguistic and ethnographic research. These include Fidencio Briceño Chel, Miguel Güémez Pineda, Ismael May May, Gerónimo Can Tec, Quetzil Castañeda, Luis Manuel May Ku, Kenna Noone, and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Summer Program for Intensive Linguistic Study of the Yucatec Maya Language. Moreover, I am indebted to my host families in Mérida and Xocen for facilitating language learning in Mexico. In the United States, I offer the warmest thanks to my professors and committee members, including Dr. Michael Uzendoski, Dr. Joseph Hellweg, Dr. Mary Pohl, Dr. Gretchen Sunderman, and Dr. Robinson Herrera. I cannot find the words to express my gratitude for their encouragement, insightful comments, and continuous support in my academic endeavors. Moreover, I would like to acknowledge Dr. Nicholas Hopkins and the late Dr. Kathryn Josserand for mentoring me and setting me on the right path as a scholar when I first arrived at FSU. In the department of anthropology, the secretarial efforts of Shannon Tucker, Malinda Bethea, and Trish Barineau have been much appreciated over the years. Finally, I offer the greatest thanks to my parents, Beverly Litka, Art Litka, Treena Kaye, and Tony Kapothanasis for their endless love and support throughout my academic career. My husband, Jason Bieber, has been my constant companion and I am eternally grateful to have such wonderful people in my life. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables…………………………………………………………………………………..viii List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………….......ix Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………..........x 1. Introduction to Study……………………………………………………………......................1 First Memories in the Field………………………………………………………………............4 Social Exchange and Syncretism throughout Maya History: The Ancient Maya………….........7 The Colonial Maya……………………………………………………………………………..13 Mexican Independence…………………………………………………………………………16 The Age of Global Tourism………………………………………………………......................20 Research History in Cobá………………………………………………………………………25 Data Collection…………………………………………………………………………………28 Data Analysis……………………………………………………………………………….......32 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………….......34 2. Theoretical and Ethnographic Perspectives of the House, Market, and Multilingualism…...36 The House…………………………………………………………………………………........36 Tourism………………………………………………………………………………………....42 Language Use……………………………………………………………………………….......49 3. Domestic Organization in Coba: Negotiating Spheres of Social Exchange in the House........58 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………...58 A Family Conversation…………………………………………………………………….........59 The Yucatec Maya in Broader Ethnographic Context……………………………………..........61 Spheres of Sociality and Exchange throughout Cobá’s History………………………………...68 Physical and Social Layout of Household Exchange in Cobá: Naj, Otoch, and Solar…….........73 Birth and Childhood………………………………………………………………………..........76 Rites of Passage……………………………………………………………………………........77 Meals……………………………………………………………………………………….........78 Death……………………………………………………………………………………….........81 Economic and Supernatural Levels of Sociality: Milpas…………………………………..........83 Ruins…………………………………………………………………………………………….85 Cultural Beliefs………………………………………………………………………………….87 Socio-Political Extensions of Sociality within Cobá’s Ejido: Marriage………………………..88 v Religion…………………………………………………………………………………………90 Politics…………………………………………………………………………………………..92 Conflict/Envidia………………………………………………………………………………....93 National and Foreign Residents…………………………………………………………………95 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………98 4. Multilingualism: Expressing Spheres of Value in the House……………………………….100 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………100 Family Ties and Linguistic Negotiation……………………………………………………….100 Ethnographic Studies of Yucatec Mayan Language Use………………………………….......102 The Linguistic Setting in Cobá…………………………………………………………….......106 English at Home……………………………………………………………………………….110 The Otoch and Solar: Sociality among Spouses and Children………………………………..112 Spouses…………………………………………………………………………………...........118 Children………………………………………………………………………………………..124 Combined Household……………………………………………………………………….…128 The Ejido: Sociality among Extended Kin ……………………………..……………………..133 Friends……………………………………………………………………………………........142 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………..150 5. Tourism: The Syncretic House in a Globalized Market……………………………………151 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………151 Sa’, Communal Bonds, and The Workplace…………………………………………………..151 The Yucatec Maya in Broader Ethnographic Context…………………………………….......153 The Tourist Setting: Spheres of Sociality in the Public Realm………………………………..157 Goods and ‘Authenticity’: Constructing Value through Souvenirs and Ideology…………….162 Tourism and Change…………………………………………………………………………..164 Narration: Conveying Value through Time………………………………………………........167 Culture and Display………………………………………………………………………........168 Place: Constructing Value through Space …………………………………………………….170 Foreign Interest in Cobá’s House………………………………………………………….......171 Tourism and the Future………………………………………………………………………..173 Tourism’s Extension to Larger Cities…………………………………………………………175 Mexican Guides: Creating Spheres of Exchange Nationally………………………………….176 Tensions and Competition ……………………………………………………………………178 Tourists’ Perspectives: Creating Spheres of Exchange Internationally……………………….181 Local Perspectives of the Tourist ‘Other’……………………………………………………..184 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………….186 vi 6. Multilingualism: Personifying the Market through Code-Switching………………………188 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………....188 Guiding in a Multilingual World……………………………………………………………...188 The Linguistic Setting…………………………………………………………………………190 Communication among the Ejido’s Guides…………………………………………………...194 Shopkeepers…………………………………………………………………………………...200 Waiters………………………………………………………………………………………...205 Language Use Beyond the Household: Outside Tour Guides………………………………...209 Guides and Outside Tour Guides……………………………………………………………...210 Shopkeepers and Outside Tour Guides………………………………………………………..211 Waiters and Outside Tour Guides……………………………………………………………..215 Tourists………………………………………………………………………………………...216 Guides and Tourists…………………………………………………………………………....218 Shopkeepers and Tourists……………………………………………………………………...221 Waiters and Tourists…………………………………………………………………….……..224 Locals and Tourists Combined……………………………………………………….………..227 Guides: Locals and Tourists……………………………………………………………..…….228 Shopkeepers: Locals and Tourists……………………………………………………………..231 Waiters: Locals and Tourists…………………………………………………………….….…234 Tourists’ Perspectives of Linguistic Exchange………………………………………………..238 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………......240 7. Conclusion: Language, Sociality, and Value in a Contemporary Maya World..…...………242 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………242 Back in the Field: Ten Years Later…………………………………………………………....243 Summary of Arguments and Findings: Kinship and the