The Impacts of Globalization on Maya Dress Practices and Textile Artisanship in Contemporary Yucatán

Abstract

<p>Due to the importance of preserving Maya heritage in Mexico and Latin America, there have been many studies on this culture and its traditional craft. However, little has been studied on how the production of artisan crafts affects the consumption and use of traditional dress by the artisans who create it. This study focuses on textile artisan communities living in the Yucatán Peninsula today. It investigates how modern technology, global markets and tourism have altered the design and sale of the huipil (traditional Maya garment), and how this garment has come to be used as a commodity, and less an expression of cultural identity for female Maya artisans. Findings highlight the paradigm shift in dress practices and the reshaping of female indigenous Maya dress identity among younger generations of artisan communities in an increasingly globalized and connected world.</p>