Tonala: Conservatism, Responsibility, and Authority in a Mexican Town

In this classic ethnography, May N. Díaz offers a richly textured portrait of Tonala, a pottery town on the outskirts of Guadalajara. Based on immersive fieldwork in 1959–60, the study explores how a seemingly conservative and traditional community negotiates the rapid industrial expansion of its nearby metropolis. Through vivid accounts of domestic life, kinship, marriage, and household economy, Díaz reveals how patterns of authority and responsibility are reproduced across generations, sh...