DIRECTOR

Jerome Levi, Associate Professor of Anthropology

Jay Levi led Carleton’s first “Social and Cultural Field Research Seminar in Guatemala” in winter 2006 and was the Director of Latin American Studies, 2003-2006. He has taught at Carleton since 1993 and conducted ethnographic research on Mesoamerica for nearly three decades, initially focusing on the Tzotzil Maya in the Chiapas highlands and later on the Tarahumara (Rarámuri) of southwest Chihuahua. His teaching and research interests are in the areas of indigenous rights, the anthropology of religion, ethnicity, economic and environmental anthropology. He recently served as the Editor for Mesoamerican Ethnology for the Library of Congress’s Handbook of Latin American Studies, and contributed to the Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Cultures.

ELIGIBILITY

The program is designed for students who are interested in the Mayan peoples of Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico, the history and culture of the region, as well as social change and development in Latin America. Students will undertake independent field research focused on these topics. To participate in the program, students must have completed Sociology/Anthropology 110 or 111 by January 2008. The ability to communicate effectively in Spanish, as indicated by advanced work in Spanish beyond Spanish 204 or its equivalent, is also necessary to the participant’s success in conducting field research in highland Guatemala. The instructor reserves the right to issue special permission to interested students who have not taken Sociology/ Anthropology 110 or 111, but who have equivalent preparatory work in Latin American Studies or another related field.

LOCATION

Both Guatemala and the neighboring state of Chiapas, Mexico are lands of stunning physical beauty, cultural diversity, and stark socio-economic contrasts. With its population comprised of 23 ethnic groups—some 22 indigenous Mayan linguistic groups and the economically and politically dominant ladinos—Guatemala has long been known for its rich local cultural traditions. But it is also marked by extreme inequalities and poverty. Today, after decades of a brutal civil war, Guatemalans struggle to build a nation based on the multilingual and pluricultural principles mandated by the 1996 Peace Accords.