Shaping multiple Ajijics and development. A Mexican town in the context of the international retirement migration Francisco Vladimir Díaz Copado 1 Page Thesis committee Promotor Prof. Dr L.E. Visser Professor of Rural Development Sociology Wageningen University Co-promotor Dr. A.M.G. Arce Associate professor, Rural Development Sociology Group Wageningen University Other members Prof. Dr C. Minca, Wageningen University Prof. Dr C. Curtin, National University of Ireland, Galway Dr M.M. Villarreal, CIESAS Occidente, Jalisco, Mexico Dr M.N.C. Aarts, Wageningen University This research was conducted under the auspices of the Wageningen School of Social Sciences (WASS). Shaping multiple Ajijics and development. A Mexican town in the context of the international retirement migration Francisco Vladimir Díaz Copado Thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of doctor at Wageningen University by the authority of the Rector Magnificus Prof. Dr M.J. Kropff, in the presence of the Thesis Committee appointed by the Academic Board to be defended in public on Thursday 17 October 2013 at 11 a.m. in the Aula. 3 Page Francisco Vladimir Díaz Copado Shaping multiple Ajijics and development. A Mexican town in the context of the international retirement migration 235 pages PhD thesis Wageningen University, Wageningen, NL (2013) With references, with summaries in English, Spanish and Dutch ISBN: 978-94-6173-677-2 To my family and friends 5 Page vii Table of Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................. xi Chapter 1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 1 1. The history of a research problem .......................................................................................... 1 2. Research problem, questions, and objective ........................................................................... 9 3. Methodological and conceptual frameworks ........................................................................ 12 4. Contributions of this study to theoretical perspectives on processes of modernisation and development, processes of legitimisation, and IRM ............................. 17 4.1. Processes of modernisation and development ..................................................... 17 4.2. Processes of legitimisation .................................................................................. 22 4.3. The IRM phenomenon ......................................................................................... 24 5. Approaching the field ........................................................................................................... 30 5.1. Considerations regarding the inhabitants of Ajijic and their identities ............... 30 5.2. Why do research in Ajijic? .................................................................................. 32 5.3. Methods used for collecting qualitative and quantitative data ............................ 33 6. Outline of thesis .................................................................................................................... 36 Chapter 2 Using discourses and objects to shape Ajijic in the context of the IRM phenomenon ........................................................................................... 39 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 39 2. Some important properties of interpretations of Ajijic ......................................................... 40 3. My encounter with objects legitimised with discourses about different interpretations of Ajijic ........................................................................................................ 42 4. The project of shaping Ajijic into a retirement destination .................................................. 47 4.1. Discourses in the “introduction to Ajijic” talks ................................................... 48 4.2. Brief history of using discourses about Ajijic as a retirement destination to legitimise the construction of residential developments ................................. 50 vii 4.3. Transformation of the social life by the construction of Ajijic as a Page retirement destination .......................................................................................... 53 viii 5. The project of shaping Ajijic into tierra comunal ................................................................ 55 5.1. Discourses and tours to the “border signs” (counter-objects) ............................. 55 6. The project of shaping Ajijic into Teopantitla y los lugares tradicionales .......................... 59 6.1. Discourses and exhibition of “archaeological utensils” (counter-objects) .......... 59 6.2. Discourses and tours to La Piedra Rayada (a counter-object) ............................ 62 6.3. Discourses and tours to Ojo de Agua (a contested-object) .................................. 65 6.3.1. Guiding me to Ojo de Agua ....................................................................... 65 6.3.2. The contested-object as the materialisation of a social interface .............. 71 6.4. Discourses and tours to Arroyo Tepalo (a counter-object) .................................. 72 7. Transformation of the relationship between people and place ............................................. 74 8. Conclusions .......................................................................................................................... 76 Chapter 3 Discourses and objects in the commoditisation of features of Ajijic. Governmental development interventions in the context of the IRM ......................................................................................................................... 78 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 78 2. Commoditisation .................................................................................................................. 79 3. Discourses and objects in the commoditisation of the features of Ajijic as a retirement destination .......................................................................................................... 80 3.1. The realtor in the phases of production and objectification ................................ 80 3.2. The realtor in the phases of commoditisation and consumption ......................... 84 3.3. The realtor´s client in the process of production, objectification, commoditisation, and consumption ..................................................................... 85 3.3.1. Painting in “Mexican style” the house of Caroline ................................... 85 4. Discourses and objects in the commoditisation of the features of the municipality as playa de mar (beach resort) ............................................................................................. 89 4.1. The phases of production and objectification and its obstacles .......................... 89 4.2. The phases of commoditisation and consumption .............................................. 94 4.2.1. The inauguration of the seafront of Chapala. An event to legitimise the transformation of Chapala and Ajijic .................................. 94 4.3. The process of production, objectification, commoditisation, and consumption ........................................................................................................ 97 ix 5. Governmental interventions in the context of the IRM ........................................................ 98 6. Conclusions ........................................................................................................................ 100 Chapter 4 Using two “local” rituals to shape Ajijic in the context of the IRM phenomenon ................................................................................................ 105 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 105 2. Summarised view of some characteristics of rituals .......................................................... 106 3. The Huentli ritual. Differently interpreted and the transformation of its performance ....................................................................................................................... 107 3.1. The ritualistas and the Huentli .......................................................................... 108 3.2. The Huentli’s performance ................................................................................ 110 3.3. Analysis of the interpretations and performance of the Huentli ....................... 113 3.4. Actor’s body-context agency. Shaping the landscape and social relations through the Huentli ............................................................................. 115 4. The ritual of Fiestas de San Andrés ................................................................................... 118 4.1. Summarised description of Fiestas de San Andrés and its performance in 2007 ............................................................................................................... 118 4.2. Contesting for the alliance with the Church ...................................................... 119 4.3. Transformation of the FSA’s performance. The global and transnational influences .........................................................................................................