This single volume reference resource offers students, scholars, and general readers alike an in-depth background on Mexico, from the complexity of its pre-Columbian civilizations to its social and political development in the context of Western civilization.
How did modern Mexico become a nation of multicultural diversity and rich indigenous traditions? What key roles do Mexico’s non-Western, pre-Columbian indigenous heritage and subsequent development as a major center in the Spanish colonial empire play the country’s identity today? How is Mexico today both Western and non-Western, part Native American and part European, simultaneously traditional and modern?
Modern Mexico is a thematic encyclopedia that broadly covers the nation’s history, both ancient and modern; its government, politics, and economics; as well as its culture, religion traditions, philosophy, arts, and social structures. Additional topics include industry, labor, social classes and ethnicity, women, education, language, food, leisure and sport, and popular culture. Sidebars, images, and a Day in the Life feature round out the coverage in this accessible, engaging volume. Readers will come to understand how Mexico and the Mexican people today are the result of the processes of transculturation, globalization, and civilizational contact.
Features
- Explains how Mexico's modern identity is defined by its status as an economically developing country sharing a large contiguous land border with a highly developed global superpower, the United States
- Demonstrates the richness and global reach of Mexico's cultural and linguistic influence through the Western Hemisphere
- Enables readers to understand how Mexico's history has been shaped by fierce revolutionary nationalism—a tendency that is now tempered by a desire for integration and leadership in the global community of nations
- Includes “Day in the Life” features that portray the specific daily activities of various people in the country, from high school students to working class people to professionals, thereby providing readers insight into daily life in the country
James D. Huck Jr., PhD, is assistant director, graduate advisor, and administrative assistant professor at the Stone Center for Latin American Studies at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. He has previously authored the volume on Mexico and served as the series editor for the Global Studies Handbook series published by ABC-CLIO, which included volumes on Chile, Costa Rica, Argentina, Brazil, and Cuba. Huck is a member of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) and the Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies, for which he is currently president-elect and whose term as president will commence in March of 2017. He earned his doctorate in Latin American studies from the Stone Center at Tulane University and was founding director of the Center for Latin American Studies at Albright College in Reading, PA, 1998–2001, before returning to Tulane in 2001 to occupy the position he currently holds there. His scholarly interests include Latin American international relations, Mexican politics and foreign policy, and Latin American studies pedagogy.
Reviews
"If there is a better one-volume reference to Mexico than this, it would be hard to find. . . . It is more than worth its price . . . . Useful, relevant, and quite instructive."—ARBA, June 1, 2018
"A well-organized, broad overview of the country vital to the North American experience. . . . Summing Up: Recommended. Community college and beginning undergraduate collections."—Choice, July 1, 2018
Understanding Modern Nations
The Understanding Modern Nations series profiles individual nations that are of interest to high school students and undergraduates, focusing on countries that are often studied in school as well as countries that have made major headlines in recent years.
With coverage of topics such as geography, history, politics and government, economy, society, culture, social media, pop culture, and personal accounts of daily life, these volumes serve as ideal resources for students of geography, social studies, anthropology, political science, and more. Additional topics examine religion, social classes and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, education, language, etiquette, literature and drama, art and architecture, music and dance, food, and leisure and sport.
General overviews of each topic provide students with a basic foundation on the subject, and entries pertaining to the topic—such as biographies of significant people in the field, iconic events, and key ideas—follow each overview. Sidebars and photos, facts and figures that are integral to better understanding the countries, a glossary of key terms, and a holidays chart round out the coverage in each of these accessible, engaging volumes.
