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MIRA: Multimedia Interdisciplinary Research
in Anthropology
A Collaborative and Comparative Study of Tourism
Destinations and Cultures
Participants in 2006 benefit from a unique opportunity to witness
and study the Mexican Elections on July 2. MIRA project will include
a special
5 day workshop on Mexican politics in relation to tourism
MIRA Overview
This field school/research program is a unique and exciting opportunity
to critically explore and experience tourism development projects
and their implications as they relate to issues of identity, development,
cultural hegemony, urban development, migration, and multimedia ethnographic
documentation within the context of cultural production. Student participants
gain intensive, on-site fieldwork training in ethnography and cultural
anthropology and develop new skills in interdisciplinary research
methodologies as they relate to cultural studies and art making. MIRA
allows participants to develop their own individual research project
within a larger program of focused research. Students will have the
opportunity to explore topics and mediums of interest in the first
person while working in small groups in an environment of cultural
immersion. The overall program and project culminates in a multi-authored,
multi-media ethnographic document that is designed and developed for
academic dissemination.
Program Motivation
We offer three courses that are part of a holistic approach to the
study, analysis, documentation, and representation of tourism cultures
of the Yucatán peninsula – an area that is marketed for
its beaches (the Maya Riviera), Maya archaeological heritage sites
(Chichén Itzá, Tulum, Coba), and Maya culture. Certain
parts of this peninsula, namely the coast south of Cancun and the
cities of Playa del Carmen and Tulum are undergoing rapid change due
to the influx of tourism developments (all-inclusive resorts and luxury
home developers). The courses we offer provide a research foundation
to study this rapidly changing environment. All student participants
are expected to work under the larger research umbrella of this project
and participate in all three courses offered.
Is MIRA for me?
MIRA is ideal for students who have an interest in cultural anthropology
and ethnography and specifically in Mexican and hybrid cultures or
the culture stemming from and related to tourism development. Participants
do not need to have a background in cultural anthropology and ethnography
in order to be successful in this program – the program is designed
specifically for students with backgrounds in anthropology, sociology,
history, design and architecture, cultural studies, performance arts,
cultural production, Latin American studies.
MIRA is particularly suitable for students who are looking for a collaborative
experience, immersion into Mexican culture, and graduate students
who may consider the subject matter for their thesis or project-in-lieu
of thesis development.
Dancers – Mérida en Domingo
– August 2004.
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