Lazaro cardenas and high modernism
Historically, scholars views concerning pre-Revolutionary Michoacan contend that peasants openly welcomed the secular ideologies of Lazaro Cardenas, and willing formed alliances in the post revolutionary Mexican state as a result of the sweeping reforms initiated by the Cardenistas. However, as Marjorie Becker claims in Setting the Virgin on Fire, Cardenas cannot be viewed as a redeemer or a later-day Jesus, instead as an individual who attempted to rid the peasantry of their cultural and social heritages. James Scott argues in Seeing Like A State that when such governmental policies include centralized state planning and eradication of local norms and ideologies they adhere to high modernism. In short, Scott defines high modernism as a strong confidence in the progress of science, control and mastery over nature, and rational planning of the social order (Scott 4). To a degree, Cardenas' attempt at reforming mestizo, Indian, and campesino cultures supports claims of high modernism ideologies in his government. However, not all the policies were strictly high modern. The social reforms implemented bettered not only the peasants ideological outlook on life, improved social conditions, but also provided them with access
However, the complexities of attaining property and ensuing demands made by the Cardenas government argue otherwise. Moises Saenz, inspired by his belief that western culture actually spoke to the Indians, read them newspaper clips of Gandhi's hunger strike and a modernist poem "about a frog, a toad, and the moon" (55). In fact, as Becker notes, only the small minority with the greatest access to Cardenas held such rigid anti-clerical beliefs. Women in particular took solace in the images and figurines of La Purisma as an image of redemption in hope, even in a social order which promised neither. Within their own party divisions existed as they simply "urged devout Catholics to keep their devotion under wraps" (69) and for the teachers put their "religious dogmas away" upon entering the schoolhouse" (Becker 69). Although Cardenas gave away more land than all of his predecessors combined, he unwisely decided to impose strict government agrarian rules upon the peasantry. It is important to keep in mind, as Scott likewise notes, that many of these projects replaced even worse social orders and at least occasionally introduced somewhat more egalitarian principles, never mind improving public health. More importantly, the failure of certain policies not only redeemed the Mexican peasant, but armed Cardenas with the necessary insight to allow the peasant to be a part of the post revolutionary Mexican state. Surely, by redistributing more lands than any of his predecessors, one could not claim high modernist influences in his policies. Cardenistas believed the Indians had intelligence in their artistic efforts, music, dance, song, and handiworks (Becker 70). As Constantino Murillo stated, "'I told them again and again to go easy on the church. By in large the Cardenista's treatment of mestizo culture epitomizes Scott assertion of high modernist disregard for cultural and social identity. Cardenistas also sought to rid the peasants of their pastimes. These men and women believed not only in western preeminence but in the Indians willingness to accept western culture and ideology. However, in remaking the Indians, "Cardenistas tended to view all Indians as descendants of the same genetic pool of artistic talent" (Becker 111) and failed to recognize the complex diversities that existed amongst the different tribes.
Common topics in this essay:
James Scott,
Furthermore Cardenas,
Lazaro Cardenas,
Moises Saenz,
La Purisma,
Trotsky Nyerere,
Church Becker,
Respect Tarascan,
Michoacan Cardenas,
Constantino Murillo,
post revolutionary,
becker notes,
mestizo culture,
mestizo indian,
twin scott 261,
mastery nature rational,
social class,
indian culture,
cardenas understood,
human condition,
control mastery,
improve human,
post revolutionary mexican,
rational planning social,
nature rational planning,
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