Author Archives: mmariola

Everywhere you go at the major tourist sites on the peninsula, you see vendors of all kinds of handicrafts — some complete kitsch, some mass-produced but authentic-seeming items, and some undoubtedly authentic artisanal products.  But what is st… Continue reading →

This is a sign outside the artisan gift store at the major archaeological site of Uxmal.  Notice how the state appropriates and then regulates the whole idea of “artisan” or authentic crafts.  The sign reads “House of Artisan Handic… Continue reading →

The commodification of a culture is not a big surprise wherever a local population forms the service sector for a steady stream of foreign tourists.  Think of the identical tchotchske ceramic figurines of temples awaiting you outside any famous Buddhi… Continue reading →

Matt Mariola writing, pre-departure.   I have two primary intellectual/experiential interests in traveling to the Yucatan Peninsula, and I think it will be useful to trace my thoughts on them now, before the trip, so I can compare expectations to … Continue reading →

A class project from last fall in which students in ENVS 230 “Sustainable Agriculture:  Theory & Practice” (formerly known as “Innovations in Agroecology”)  is featured in the current edition of the College Library’s… Continue reading →