Liberal Ascendancy In Mexico

This week’s readings focus on the era of liberal ascendancy in Mexico during the Porfiriato or the government of Porfirio Díaz from 1876-1910. The first reading this week, Jeffrey Pilcher’s “Many Chef’s in the National Kitchen,” examines how national identity has been imagined through food. Although Pilcher essentially reads cookbooks as political texts infused with ideology, I would advise not to read it on an empty stomach. The next reading, Michael Gonzalez’s “General Porfirio Díaz and the Liberal Legacy,” explores how Díaz oversaw political consolidation and economic growth during his long tenure as head of state. Using specific examples and quotations from this week’s readings, please respond to the following:

1.) Using specific examples from the reading, how do cookbooks provide a window into this era of liberalism in Latin America? How did elites use cuisine and food to imagine the Mexican nation? How did popular groups respond?100WORDS

2.) What economic and political benefits did Porfirio Díaz bring to Mexico (use specific examples)? At what costs were these benefits achieved (use specific examples)? Do you think the Porfirio Díaz government benefited or harmed Mexico overall?100WORDS

3.) Examine the Powerpoint image collection carefully in terms of clothing, style, and skin color. What stands out to you? Do you notice any contrasts? What do you think these images say about the ascendancy of liberalism in Mexico?1000W0RDS

Answer preview

Using specific examples from the reading, how do cookbooks provide a window into this era of liberalism in Latin America? How did elites use cuisine and food to imagine the Mexican nation? How did popular groups respond?

Cookbooks opened a window in this era of liberalism for women of distinct classes, cultures and the historical periods that would be unknown to us if this would not be the case. Cookbooks offered several opportunities. For example, cooking manuals contributed to the identity of women through assigning specific domestic roles to them while spelling out acceptable cultural practices (Pilcher, 1998). Elites used cuisine and food to imagine the Mexican nation through offering a valuable means of indoctrinating women into the new order of the emphasis of European dishes. Intellectuals therefore hoped to cleanse Mexico all the past. The popular group wanted to reformulate the sense of national identity and create an ideology through a broader appeal to the Indian and Mestizo masses. They launched a national campaign to legitimize themselves (Pilcher, 1998)………

WORD COUNT:564WORDS

FORMAT:APA