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Egalitarianism As Dramaturgy: Ideology And Social Interaction In MesoAmerica
Author(s) -
Aguilar John L.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
symbolic interaction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.874
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1533-8665
pISSN - 0195-6086
DOI - 10.1525/si.1980.3.1.105
Subject(s) - egalitarianism , ideology , sociology , morality , deviance (statistics) , social psychology , aesthetics , gender studies , epistemology , psychology , politics , law , political science , philosophy , statistics , mathematics
The anthropological literature generally depicts Mesoamerican Indian communities as egalitarian. This study reveals and examines the dramaturgical nature of egalitarianism among Indians of Teopisca, a biethnic (Ladino‐Mayan) town in southern Mexico. It is shown that although much public behavior in this community complies with the moral prescriptions of an egalitarian ideology, such behavior normally serves instrumental rather than moral ends. Following discussion of this ideology and related categories of deviance and defensive interactional tactics, it is proposed that Indian egalitariansim in Teopisca is itself a collective construction of reality designed to assist in the task of self‐esteem maintenance in the face of underprivilege and depreciation within the larger Ladino‐dominated community. The broader contribution of this study lies in its demonstration of ways in which culture— qua morality—relates to behavior through the medium of actors' everyday practical social interests and concerns.