{"product_id":"symbolism-and-ritual-in-a-larissa-adler-lomnitz-9780816527533","title":"Symbolism and Ritual in a One-Party Regime: Unveiling Mexico's Political Culture","description":"Because of the long dominance of Mexico's leading political party, the Partido Revolucionario Institucional, the campaigns of its presidential candidates were never considered relevant in determining the victor. This book offers an ethnography of the Mexican political system under PRI hegemony, focusing on the relationship between the formal democratic structure of the state and the unofficial practices of the underlying political culture, and addressing the question of what purpose campaigns serve when the outcome is predetermined. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Discussing Mexican presidential politics from the perspectives of anthropology, political science, and communications science, the authors analyze the 1988 presidential campaign of Carlos Salinas de Gortari-the last great campaign of the PRI to display the characteristics traditionally found in the twentieth century. These detailed descriptions of campaign events show that their ritualistic nature expressed both a national culture and an aura of domination. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The authors describe the political and cultural context in which this campaign took place-an authoritarian presidential system that dated from the 1920s-and explain how the constitutional provisions of the state interacted with the informal practices of the party to produce highly scripted symbolic rituals. Their analysis probes such topics as the meanings behind the candidate's behavior, the effects of public opinion polling, and the role of the press, then goes on to show how the system has begun to change since 2000. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e By dealing with the campaign from multiple perspectives, the authors reveal it as a rite of passage that sheds light on the political culture of the country. Their study expands our understanding of authoritarianism during the years of PRI dominance and facilitates comparison of current practices with those of the past.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Larissa Adler-Lomnitz\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0816527539\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780816527533\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Arizona Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/15\/2010\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 368\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.25lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.90h x 6.00w x 1.00d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/01\/2011\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eReference and Research Bk News\u003c\/i\u003e 08\/01\/2010 pg. 159","brand":"Larissa Adler-Lomnitz","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44181100691711,"sku":"9780816527533","price":39.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_42741e90-edfd-4dda-a056-fcdf302ef0f6.jpg?v=1690258559","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/symbolism-and-ritual-in-a-larissa-adler-lomnitz-9780816527533","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}