Find it in Baron, Ava International Labor and Working-Class History, No. 69, Working-Class Subjectivities and Sexualities (Spring, 2006), pp. 143-160
Much has been written about women's work culture, but this article takes a look at masculinity in the white man's work place. The masculinity crisis, brought on by "virtually everything" (146) provokes a hyper-masculine response in the working-class white male that creates a sexist culture that involves acts of bravery, hazing, and other homosocial behaviors. Technology, for example, could be considered a threat to masculinity, so males engage in acts of bravery to prove themselves superior to technology. (Ibid.)
The article doesn't get much into race; for example, humor is a large part of the masculine group, so sexist jokes are common. Any discussion of how racist jokes enter that same field is very light. She mentions Daniel Bender's work on Jewish garment workers; how they did not exhibit these masculine traits, so there is a question as to how ubiquitous these masculine performativity was, and if it the term "white" is separate from Jewish or other groups (Chinese mentioned on p.149) that might not fit the Baron's model. Class, however, gets plenty of attention. The white-collar worker hides his body behind a suit; almost a denial of the qualities that the blue-collar worker possesses. (148)
The discussion of who has the power of masculinity is interesting; Baron says it is variable, depending "upon the angle of the gaze and upon who was 'being' and who was 'being looked at.'" I am curious to see more examples of this.
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Monday, March 28, 2016
A Look at a Book: Bakers & Basques: A Social History of Bread in Mexico
Weis, Robert. Bakers and Basques a social history of bread in Mexico. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2012.
With the historical emphasis on corn as the staple food in Mexico, this book is an important conversation on how bread was one of the main markers of difference between the urban and rural population in Mexico. While poorer consumers might have eaten lower quality bread, figures in this book show that a substantial amount of bread was eaten across class lines.
Bread was important in the urban Mexico City, while corn ruled in the rural areas. But when bread shortages increased, there were ripple effects all through the market, causing the price of the tortilla to skyrocket. The title, Bakers & Basques, highlights the Basque role as owner of bread making facilities (and sometimes much further down the supply chain) while Mexican bakers tended to be struggling to eek out a living on a meager wage based on completion of loaves versus an hourly wage that wasn't negotiated until well into the 20th century with articles from the 1917 Constitution.
The fight for reasonable wages was complicated because of bread's preeminence in the urban diet, so while the bread making facilities were considered private, the government felt it needed to intervene to appease owners while preventing strikes that caused bread shortages. This meant that other industries with unionized employees gained ground at a much faster clip than Mexican bakers because of the complex policies and negotiations around bread. While the more politically powerful and well-capitalized bread-making facilities tended to be owned by Basques, many Mexican-owned bread makers also existed, but tended to employ family members.
It is incredible to think that Mexican bread makers would align themselves with Basque owners as well as government officials in order to crush businesses owned by Mexican families, but this is precisely the case. The bread makers, who had it badly enough, unionized in order to increase the effectiveness of their political power exerted through strikes, the most disruptive of their tactics. Because the smaller, Mexican-owned shops were able to use some of the savings on wages and various fees that the larger operations had to pay, they were able to offer heavier bread for less. This attracted the ire of the Basque shop owners, and the unionized Mexican bakers working for the Basques couldn't use the family outfits to add to their union power.
The book also highlights a problem of exceptionalism common to studies of capitalism that seek a superior cultural trait that somehow lends itself to more entrepreneurialism than other cultures. More likely, the Basques were able to leverage built in advantages through familial and cultural links with a combination of networks developed with people in government positions that tilted policy to their interests. It was pressure from workers that forced the need to modernize. The author shows how "bread had been a symbol of urban civility and social modernization; afterward, it became a sign of the revolutionary government's commitment to the well-being of the proletariat." (7)
The first chapter discusses the complications that strong regulation of bread from the Spanish Crown brought to the market. For example, bread had to be sold in certain areas with an official brand, and every aspect of the production to consumption was regulated. The Crown and officials beneath themselves felt themselves the only ones who could protect consumers from the greed of bread vendors. Some officials saw the bread monopolies as useful because they could be used as an extension of state power. (15) The bread families were in a position to be involved in government, as well, so this contributed to a further concentration of power at the top. The gremio (trade union or guild) was a club that could be bought into only by owners. It is interesting that deregulating the bread market, an idea promulgated by Revillagigedo, was an attempt to reduce the power of the bread oligarchs by allowing anyone to enter the bread trade freely.
The second chapter enters after independence, when Mexico underwent a crisis because of the massive flight of Spanish capital. The difficulties in making bread encouraged new bread makers to get involved, but they were no longer part of the state apparatus of control, and therefore were less controllable when prices rose. The lack of food supply was tied to the government, so food shortages would inevitably be blamed on it. Some government fiscal policies were to blame, however, such as Santa Anna's flooding the market with copper coinage and demanding part of taxes to be paid in silver. When copper was found to be counterfeit, the government took the copper with the promise that it would be exchanged, meanwhile holding up workers salaries, who rose up in response. As bakeries closed their doors, the populace rose up, as well. (27) One of the most significant changes for workers was the fall of the empeño system, where workers were indebted to bread-making businesses. The author notes a lack of ability to regulate the food market along with a lack of the kind of embedded relationship the gremios had previously that contributed to a good deal of scarcity and chaos. (31)
Perhaps the most important take away from this book is that regulation, not competition, was the tool bread makers made use of to edge out competition and ensure their monopoly over the trade. An uneasy balance between government's obligation to protect consumers by ensuring affordable bread at the cost of workers is another theme that deserves attention. The author cites the triumph of Basque bread makers as emblematic of the Porfiriato, in that foreign capital and labor flooded Mexican markets.
With the historical emphasis on corn as the staple food in Mexico, this book is an important conversation on how bread was one of the main markers of difference between the urban and rural population in Mexico. While poorer consumers might have eaten lower quality bread, figures in this book show that a substantial amount of bread was eaten across class lines.
Bread was important in the urban Mexico City, while corn ruled in the rural areas. But when bread shortages increased, there were ripple effects all through the market, causing the price of the tortilla to skyrocket. The title, Bakers & Basques, highlights the Basque role as owner of bread making facilities (and sometimes much further down the supply chain) while Mexican bakers tended to be struggling to eek out a living on a meager wage based on completion of loaves versus an hourly wage that wasn't negotiated until well into the 20th century with articles from the 1917 Constitution.
The fight for reasonable wages was complicated because of bread's preeminence in the urban diet, so while the bread making facilities were considered private, the government felt it needed to intervene to appease owners while preventing strikes that caused bread shortages. This meant that other industries with unionized employees gained ground at a much faster clip than Mexican bakers because of the complex policies and negotiations around bread. While the more politically powerful and well-capitalized bread-making facilities tended to be owned by Basques, many Mexican-owned bread makers also existed, but tended to employ family members.
It is incredible to think that Mexican bread makers would align themselves with Basque owners as well as government officials in order to crush businesses owned by Mexican families, but this is precisely the case. The bread makers, who had it badly enough, unionized in order to increase the effectiveness of their political power exerted through strikes, the most disruptive of their tactics. Because the smaller, Mexican-owned shops were able to use some of the savings on wages and various fees that the larger operations had to pay, they were able to offer heavier bread for less. This attracted the ire of the Basque shop owners, and the unionized Mexican bakers working for the Basques couldn't use the family outfits to add to their union power.
The book also highlights a problem of exceptionalism common to studies of capitalism that seek a superior cultural trait that somehow lends itself to more entrepreneurialism than other cultures. More likely, the Basques were able to leverage built in advantages through familial and cultural links with a combination of networks developed with people in government positions that tilted policy to their interests. It was pressure from workers that forced the need to modernize. The author shows how "bread had been a symbol of urban civility and social modernization; afterward, it became a sign of the revolutionary government's commitment to the well-being of the proletariat." (7)
The first chapter discusses the complications that strong regulation of bread from the Spanish Crown brought to the market. For example, bread had to be sold in certain areas with an official brand, and every aspect of the production to consumption was regulated. The Crown and officials beneath themselves felt themselves the only ones who could protect consumers from the greed of bread vendors. Some officials saw the bread monopolies as useful because they could be used as an extension of state power. (15) The bread families were in a position to be involved in government, as well, so this contributed to a further concentration of power at the top. The gremio (trade union or guild) was a club that could be bought into only by owners. It is interesting that deregulating the bread market, an idea promulgated by Revillagigedo, was an attempt to reduce the power of the bread oligarchs by allowing anyone to enter the bread trade freely.
The second chapter enters after independence, when Mexico underwent a crisis because of the massive flight of Spanish capital. The difficulties in making bread encouraged new bread makers to get involved, but they were no longer part of the state apparatus of control, and therefore were less controllable when prices rose. The lack of food supply was tied to the government, so food shortages would inevitably be blamed on it. Some government fiscal policies were to blame, however, such as Santa Anna's flooding the market with copper coinage and demanding part of taxes to be paid in silver. When copper was found to be counterfeit, the government took the copper with the promise that it would be exchanged, meanwhile holding up workers salaries, who rose up in response. As bakeries closed their doors, the populace rose up, as well. (27) One of the most significant changes for workers was the fall of the empeño system, where workers were indebted to bread-making businesses. The author notes a lack of ability to regulate the food market along with a lack of the kind of embedded relationship the gremios had previously that contributed to a good deal of scarcity and chaos. (31)
Perhaps the most important take away from this book is that regulation, not competition, was the tool bread makers made use of to edge out competition and ensure their monopoly over the trade. An uneasy balance between government's obligation to protect consumers by ensuring affordable bread at the cost of workers is another theme that deserves attention. The author cites the triumph of Basque bread makers as emblematic of the Porfiriato, in that foreign capital and labor flooded Mexican markets.
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Documentary Review: Black and Cuba
We are introduced to a group of Yale students who go to Cuba with an idealized notion of what socialist Cuba looks like, and it telegraphs what might be an incredibly dull film that is led with a sort of blindness to reality as they are led by tour guides and given history lessons. Idealism quickly gives way to a balanced view of Cuba - a country that has been able to withstand decades of painful U.S. embargoes, numerous attempts at government overthrow, all the while building up tremendous literacy and other social benefits, such as subsidized housing, health care, and high rates of employment. Cuba offered political asylum to several high profile black dissenters, such as Assata Shakur. Additionally, class differences are apparent by the type of employment people can do and where they live. While one of the Yale students discusses the two rappers she met who idealize living in the U.S., she lays the blame on the media, though obvious link back to the Yale students' similar idealization of Cuba prior to their visit is ignored. Much comparison is given in terms of statistics for the well being of black people in both countries, leaving the impression that Cuba is winning in terms of health, education, and overall wellbeing. This film is particularly worth viewing because it gives insight into a non-white U.S. perspective on Cuba.
It's available at http://www.kanopystreaming.com/ The caption offers the line, "Black and Cuba follows street-smart Ivy League student who are outcasts at their elite University..." The terms "Street-smart" and "outcasts" seem like subtle code and exaggeration.
A Book Look: The Mangy Parrot, Abridged, English version
Lizardi, José, and David L. Frye. The Mangy Parrot, Abridged: The Life and Times of Periquillo Sarniento, Written by Himself for his Children. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Pub. Co, 2005.
This is the abridged and translated version of what is known as Mexico's first novel, written by Fernández de Lizardi.
Much is lost in translation and abridgment; it's been said to use the various speech patterns of different classes, which forces one to use his or her imagination with the creative interpretations. It is a novel written in the picaresque form, and as such it has long-titled chapters that give away the plot like an overbearing movie trailer. They do help the graduate student quickly get a sense of what is going on.
The protagonist goes from relative comfort to complete ruin trying to explore all the ways in which he can make money without working hard, alienating himself from his parents, who both die, arguably while grieving their son's flagrant debauchery and the financial ruin he has provoked. He goes through several rounds of different schools to find himself in all sorts of trouble as a gambler, a thief, and so on. The story is narrated from the protagonist's deathbed, who finally achieves the understanding he was 'robbed' of by his parents overly permissive upbringing of him.
Because lately I have been studying food in Mexico and am interested in how people looked at food, I will return to this book in the Spanish at a later time. I did note several areas where he describes food, and I put a few here to jog my memory later when I come back to this.
Themes - Food:
Chocolate stands, p.7
The importance of fiestas, weddings, baptisms and ceremonies and the role of food in those, p.17
Rubbing one's cheeks with chili, p.20
Making punch (liquor, sugar, and lemon), p.50
Food and class (quail & pheasant vs. tortilla "dampened perhaps with the sweat of your brow"), p.56
Hunger and tavern food, p.65
Pulque and chiringuito, p.68
Rum vs. chocolate, p.69
Coffee, p. 70
Steamed water for chocolate, p.73
This is the abridged and translated version of what is known as Mexico's first novel, written by Fernández de Lizardi.
Much is lost in translation and abridgment; it's been said to use the various speech patterns of different classes, which forces one to use his or her imagination with the creative interpretations. It is a novel written in the picaresque form, and as such it has long-titled chapters that give away the plot like an overbearing movie trailer. They do help the graduate student quickly get a sense of what is going on.
The protagonist goes from relative comfort to complete ruin trying to explore all the ways in which he can make money without working hard, alienating himself from his parents, who both die, arguably while grieving their son's flagrant debauchery and the financial ruin he has provoked. He goes through several rounds of different schools to find himself in all sorts of trouble as a gambler, a thief, and so on. The story is narrated from the protagonist's deathbed, who finally achieves the understanding he was 'robbed' of by his parents overly permissive upbringing of him.
Because lately I have been studying food in Mexico and am interested in how people looked at food, I will return to this book in the Spanish at a later time. I did note several areas where he describes food, and I put a few here to jog my memory later when I come back to this.
Themes - Food:
Chocolate stands, p.7
The importance of fiestas, weddings, baptisms and ceremonies and the role of food in those, p.17
Rubbing one's cheeks with chili, p.20
Making punch (liquor, sugar, and lemon), p.50
Food and class (quail & pheasant vs. tortilla "dampened perhaps with the sweat of your brow"), p.56
Hunger and tavern food, p.65
Pulque and chiringuito, p.68
Rum vs. chocolate, p.69
Coffee, p. 70
Steamed water for chocolate, p.73
Saturday, March 26, 2016
Documentary Review: Los Nietos de la Revolución
For the time being, this subtitled film is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxRVj3HWQog
Well-connected vignettes of the lives of young people, such as anarchists, lawyers, bloggers, and music artists. Pinned against a backdrop of the '59 Revolution, the reality of people who are struggling for better conditions and for free speech stands in great relief. An emphasis is placed on how the line from the government consistently blames the U.S. blockade for its economic woes, inclusive of policies that the government is responsible for. State oversight over the smallest aspects of life is shown to be intrusive and stifling. Several government officials are shown to be very old (which they are) and disconnected from the reality of the 21st century. One such youth, Yoani Sánchez, is a blogger who runs Generation Y, which is available here: https://generacionyen.wordpress.com/
Well-connected vignettes of the lives of young people, such as anarchists, lawyers, bloggers, and music artists. Pinned against a backdrop of the '59 Revolution, the reality of people who are struggling for better conditions and for free speech stands in great relief. An emphasis is placed on how the line from the government consistently blames the U.S. blockade for its economic woes, inclusive of policies that the government is responsible for. State oversight over the smallest aspects of life is shown to be intrusive and stifling. Several government officials are shown to be very old (which they are) and disconnected from the reality of the 21st century. One such youth, Yoani Sánchez, is a blogger who runs Generation Y, which is available here: https://generacionyen.wordpress.com/
Documentary Review: Fond Memories of Cuba
This documentary is by an Australian funded by a man named "Jim," who contributed half a million dollars toward a children's hospital. The narrator's mission is a cultural tour as well as to check up on the hospital, and to bury the ashes of a friend. Music and dancing, people ravaged by poverty waiting for their government rations, and jalopies rattling around, stories of torture, and a sense that the "I'm doing fine" coming from the older revolutionaries is only skin deep, forms the bulk of the film. The narration, along with the images, highlight both the intention of the film. In one case, he visits a sugar plantation and provokes a great deal of mistrust because of his foreign status. The viewer immediately begins to look at issues such as how much truth is going to be told to an outsider.
Friday, March 25, 2016
Dcumentary Review: The Last Colony
http://thelastcolony.com/
This is a documentary that presents opposing views for various forms of Puerto Rican status with respect to the U.S. and the rest of the world. It is a modern political history, offering some insight into previous plebiscites with a good deal of attention to the 2012 vote. The 2012 ballot results showed a clear majority of voters not interested in continuing its current status with the United States, but the results on what to do after that point gave way to controversy. The options were for statehood, complete independence, and for an enhanced form of commonwealth (similar to its currents status but with more autonomy).
The issues discussed by the interviewees centered mainly around prosperity, autonomy, and identity. The documentary is engaging and encourages viewers to learn more.
If you are at an institution that has access to Kanopy Streaming, you are in luck - you can sign up and watch it for free!
This is a documentary that presents opposing views for various forms of Puerto Rican status with respect to the U.S. and the rest of the world. It is a modern political history, offering some insight into previous plebiscites with a good deal of attention to the 2012 vote. The 2012 ballot results showed a clear majority of voters not interested in continuing its current status with the United States, but the results on what to do after that point gave way to controversy. The options were for statehood, complete independence, and for an enhanced form of commonwealth (similar to its currents status but with more autonomy).
The issues discussed by the interviewees centered mainly around prosperity, autonomy, and identity. The documentary is engaging and encourages viewers to learn more.
If you are at an institution that has access to Kanopy Streaming, you are in luck - you can sign up and watch it for free!
Welcome to Round Table History.org
This is a forum for emerging historians who want to collaborate with other emerging historians. I'm a 40-year-old guy earning an MA in Spanish and History at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH.
This is an evolving project. I plan to post what I'm doing, as I'm doing it. Much of what you might find here is me trying to make sense of the materials I am reading in a demanding program, so it lacks the refinement of a true blog, but it has all the trappings of an authentic conversation. Feel free to comment or send your own stuff in.
Thanks!
Nanosh
This is an evolving project. I plan to post what I'm doing, as I'm doing it. Much of what you might find here is me trying to make sense of the materials I am reading in a demanding program, so it lacks the refinement of a true blog, but it has all the trappings of an authentic conversation. Feel free to comment or send your own stuff in.
Thanks!
Nanosh
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