Etude d’un phénomène de discrimination esthétique : la « naquez » au Mexique

Drawing from the later Wittgenstein, author of the Philosophical Investigations, according to which words have palpable effects, the goal of this article is to present and interrogate the Mexican cultural category of the naco, with the related terms naquez and naquisa. The meaning of this cluster of...

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Main Author: Philippe Schaffhauser
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: TELEMME - UMR 6570 2009-06-01
Series:Amnis
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journals.openedition.org/amnis/386
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author Philippe Schaffhauser
author_facet Philippe Schaffhauser
author_sort Philippe Schaffhauser
collection DOAJ
description Drawing from the later Wittgenstein, author of the Philosophical Investigations, according to which words have palpable effects, the goal of this article is to present and interrogate the Mexican cultural category of the naco, with the related terms naquez and naquisa. The meaning of this cluster of terms is more or less equivalent to the French vernacular plouc. It is defined by a sort of “bad taste,” but also carries a racializing charge. The article also reflects on the sociological uses of these terms. The main result of this interpretive work, which gathers sociolinguistic, historic, anthropological, and philosophical concerns analytically, is to begin to throw into relief another facet of Mexican identity. The « naco » concept forms part of the relations of power and meaning that structure much of Mexican society today, and is something we might identify both as belonging phenomena of aesthetic discrimination, and also as an antechamber to an overt racism that is social as well as cultural. Finally, if every Mexican is « a little bit naco », and each considers his neighbor or brother-in-law to be more so, it is worth pointing out that this matter of aesthetic tastes is a universal datum.
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spelling doaj.art-a3e5e3c907524d978223a3d127c21a602022-12-22T00:54:29ZengTELEMME - UMR 6570Amnis1764-71932009-06-01810.4000/amnis.386Etude d’un phénomène de discrimination esthétique : la « naquez » au MexiquePhilippe SchaffhauserDrawing from the later Wittgenstein, author of the Philosophical Investigations, according to which words have palpable effects, the goal of this article is to present and interrogate the Mexican cultural category of the naco, with the related terms naquez and naquisa. The meaning of this cluster of terms is more or less equivalent to the French vernacular plouc. It is defined by a sort of “bad taste,” but also carries a racializing charge. The article also reflects on the sociological uses of these terms. The main result of this interpretive work, which gathers sociolinguistic, historic, anthropological, and philosophical concerns analytically, is to begin to throw into relief another facet of Mexican identity. The « naco » concept forms part of the relations of power and meaning that structure much of Mexican society today, and is something we might identify both as belonging phenomena of aesthetic discrimination, and also as an antechamber to an overt racism that is social as well as cultural. Finally, if every Mexican is « a little bit naco », and each considers his neighbor or brother-in-law to be more so, it is worth pointing out that this matter of aesthetic tastes is a universal datum.http://journals.openedition.org/amnis/386AmericaMexican identityMexiconaquez
spellingShingle Philippe Schaffhauser
Etude d’un phénomène de discrimination esthétique : la « naquez » au Mexique
Amnis
America
Mexican identity
Mexico
naquez
title Etude d’un phénomène de discrimination esthétique : la « naquez » au Mexique
title_full Etude d’un phénomène de discrimination esthétique : la « naquez » au Mexique
title_fullStr Etude d’un phénomène de discrimination esthétique : la « naquez » au Mexique
title_full_unstemmed Etude d’un phénomène de discrimination esthétique : la « naquez » au Mexique
title_short Etude d’un phénomène de discrimination esthétique : la « naquez » au Mexique
title_sort etude d un phenomene de discrimination esthetique la naquez au mexique
topic America
Mexican identity
Mexico
naquez
url http://journals.openedition.org/amnis/386
work_keys_str_mv AT philippeschaffhauser etudedunphenomenedediscriminationesthetiquelanaquezaumexique