Knowing History in Mexico: An Ethnography of Citizenship

While much has been written about national history and citizenship, anthropologist Trevor Stack focuses on the history and citizenship of towns and cities. Basing his inquiry on fieldwork in west Mexican towns near Guadalajara, Stack begins by observing that people talked (and wrote) of their towns’ history and not just of Mexico’s.

Key to Stack’s study is the insight that knowing history can give someone public status or authority. It can make someone stand out as a good or eminent citizen....