Andrew R. Hatala

Abstract:

Between the years of 1931 and 1950, Robert Redfield, social science researcher and ethnographer from the University of Chicago, and Alfonso Villa Rojas described subtle and explicit cultural changes within Chan Kom, a Maya village in North-Central Yucatán. Using the theoretical framework developed by Martin Heidegger regarding worlds, being and , this paper explores the social and cultural changes in the Maya village of Chan Kom in order to deepen our understanding of how cultural change occurs more generally. Through this analysis, several aspects of cultural change emerge.

Keywords: Maya; Cultural Change; Heidegger; Being; Styles; Worlds

Cite this paper: Hatala, A. (2013). Being and Becoming Maya in Chan Kom: Towards Heideggerian Interpretations of Cultural Transformation. Advances in Anthropology, 3, 16-22. doi: 10.4236/aa.2013.31003.

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