Bridging The Gap: Using Survey Research to Develop the Archaeological Site of Monte Alban
Loading...
Authors
Jones, Patrick R.
Issue Date
2001
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
The time I spent working on my research in Oaxaca, Mexico had in many
ways the same effect on me that museums have on visitors. Museums house
cultures, and histories of people and communities and relay these cultures to
visitors. These museums help people and communities form identities based on
the similarities or differences that visitors observe. For me, Mexico was a
museum. Everyday was a reassessment of my identity or a reinforcement of my
cultural differences. This resulted from my status as a foreigner while
experiencing new cultures in Mexico.
My time in Mexico heightened my awareness of what it means to be an
American. My dress, height, and light skin color probably caused many of the
stares on the street and increased attention from the street venders. I learned that
one stereotype of Americans is that they are all rich. These differences may have
contributed to my first memorable experience as the minority, getting robbed on
the subway in Mexico City and being charged a little more than my Oaxacan
friends on numerous occasions. I had more than a few experiences of being
singled out as the rich American who did not understand or respect Oaxacan
culture. These types of experiences made me examine my culture and individual
identity to understand why stereotypes about Americans existed and how my
personal identity differed from other Americans and Mexicans.
It is not necessary or realistic to expect someone to spend months at a time
immersed in a foreign culture in order to develop his or her own cultural or
personal identity. One aspect of public archaeology and museums helps bridge
the gap between cultures and plays an important role in the development of
communities. It is this attempt to bridge the gap that justifies the importance of
developing museums and public archaeology to meet the needs of the
communities and people they serve. I would like to think that my research at
Monte Alban will prove useful in developing this site to best serve the public and
my invaluable opportunity to submerge myself in a new culture will positively
effect visitors to Monte Alban.
Description
v, 45 p.
Citation
Publisher
Kalamazoo, Mich. : Kalamazoo College.
License
U.S. copyright laws protect this material. Commercial use or distribution of this material is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder. All rights reserved.