The Paradox of the Fiesta de los Diablitos Tradition and Change Among the Boruca of Costa Rica

Date of Award

2008

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Andrews, Anthony

Keywords

Boruca, Fiesta, Tourism, Costa Rica, Central America, Mask, Mesoamerica, Ingigenous, Indian, Devil, Diablo, Diablito, Diabolism

Area of Concentration

Anthropology

Abstract

The Boruca people of Costa Rica�s annual celebration, the Fiesta de los Diablitos (or "Fiesta of the Little Devils"), celebrates Borucan traditions and cultural identity in a parody of the Spanish conquest accompanied by communal festivities. While the Fiesta functions to build an indigenous sense of identity, culture, and community, it also invites change and foreign influences in the form of tourism and income from the sale of indigenous crafts and local services revolving around the celebration. This creates a seeming paradox as the very event meant to preserve Boruca�s traditional culture simultaneously serves to alter it. These two functions of the fiesta, however, are not incompatible. The alterations that occur in Borucan culture and society spurred by the Fiesta de los Diablitos in response to the pressures of the modern world may be seen as adaptations to it. These adaptations change Boruca culture, as it has always been changing, maintaining it as a dynamic and enduring part of the modern world.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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