Hnahnu Immigrants, Soccer, Mexican/Latino Business, and Power
Date of Award
2008
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Social Sciences
First Advisor
Vesperi, Maria
Keywords
Indigenous, Immigrants, Commodity, Fetishism, Global, Transnational, Soccer, Business
Area of Concentration
Anthropology
Abstract
Relying on elements from Hebdige, Bennett, and Bourdieu, I outline how consumption and soccer articulate the transnational identity of Clearwater�s Mexican community, the majority of whom are H��h��. I explore the flow of symbolic and material capital between the soccer games and the businesses. According to Hebdige, consumption can articulate communal identities that transcend geopolitical boundaries. Combining this idea with Bennett�s adaptation of Foucault�s panopticon and with Bourdieu�s views about taste, I argue that the Mexican businesses and soccer games articulate a cultural reconstruction. I examine soccer as a social ritual that reinforces alliances. I also analyze the flow of monetary and symbolic capital in the soccer games and local businesses. The symbolic capital of manifesting one's taste in a store or at a soccer game generates money for local businesses. The publicity that businesses obtain by sponsoring events effects the alchemy of symbolic capital into material capital. To explore these themes I divided my argument into five chapters. The first chapter outlines the organization and objectives of this thesis. The second chapter provides a historical overview of the H��h��. Then, I describe the methodology and setting of my ethnographic fieldwork. Next, I analyze my data. I conclude with suggestions for possible future research.
Recommended Citation
Godinez Samperio, Jose Manuel, "Hnahnu Immigrants, Soccer, Mexican/Latino Business, and Power" (2008). Theses & ETDs. 3949.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/3949
Rights
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