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This book explores how Latin American young people engage with nostalgia and grasp a sense of nostalgic representations of the 1970s and 1980s through contemporary media. Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Costa Rica, this book analyses how young audiences make sense of nostalgic representations of transnational pasts, thus creating a link between media reception practices and the engagement with broader social, cultural, economic, and political structures. It also brings to the fore new insights concerning the role media has in fostering senses of national memory by highlighting the key role of everyday media engagements in comprehending the past. This comprehensive empirical study will be of interest to scholars, researchers and students of media and communications studies, Latin American studies, sociology, digital culture, memory studies, social and cultural anthropology, youth studies, cultural studies, and readers interested in popular culture, television, and cinema.

Una novela desternillante. Rodrigo Montalvo es el colmo de la placidez. Sus hijos, su mujer y su gato le quieren con locura. Trabaja, con muchísima moderación, en la empresa de su padre y vive en un gigantesco chalet. Y, además, es un hombre feliz. O al menos, eso ha creído siempre. Hasta que un buen día un psiquiatra, cuñado suyo para más señas, empieza a hacerle dudar. Y el mundo cae sobre su cabeza. Nuestro héroe quiere saber qué le pasa, y visita las consultas de psicólogos, psiquiatras, hipnotizadores y curanderos, que aportan soluciones desternillantes y, por supuesto, no dudan en saquear su cartera. Pero la mayor sorpresa no llegará hasta el final, y vendrá de quien menos lo espera... Rodrigo Muñoz Avia consigue hacernos reír y pensar al mismo tiempo. Su novela Psiquiatras, psicólogos y otros enfermos nos recuerda entre sonrisas que, más que intentar estar bien de la cabeza, la mejor meta para nuestras simples vidas debería ser vivir contentos y hacer un poco más felices a los demás. Reseñas: «Todo esto lo cuenta Muñoz Avia con chispa e ingenio, y sin caer nunca en lo graciosillo... Novela, para nuestra suerte, salpicada con escenas de antología...» Antonio Fontana, ABC de las Artes y las Letras «Uno de los mejores libros que he leído en los últimos tiempos.» Fernando Sánchez Dragó «En la gracia y elingenio derramado en algunas situaciones radica lo mejor del texto...» Angel Basanta, El Cultural de El Mundo «Este es uno de esos relatos que, envueltos en un papel de colores, guardan en su interior los elementos necesarios para comprobar los matices que hacen de la vida una experiencia muy original... Un libro para reírpensando, o pensar riendo, mas para hacerlo uno mismo, sin ayuda profesional.» Antonio J. Ubero, Diario de Valencia « Psiquiatras, psicólogos y otros enfermos hace furor en los condominios de Madrid.» Ignacio Amestoy, El Mundo

The concept of “indigenous” has been entwined with notions of exoticism and alterity throughout Mexico’s history. In Beyond Alterity, authors from across disciplines question the persistent association between indigenous people and radical difference, and demonstrate that alterity is often the product of specific political contexts. Although previous studies have usually focused on the most visible aspects of differences—cosmovision, language, customs, resistance—the contributors to this volume show that emphasizing difference prevents researchers from seeing all the social phenomena where alterity is not obvious. Those phenomena are equally or even more constitutive of social life and include property relations (especially individual or private ones), participation in national projects, and the use of national languages. The category of “indigenous” has commonly been used as if it were an objective term referring to an already given social subject. Beyond Alterity shows how this usage overlooks the fact that the social markers of differentiation (language, race or ethnic group, phenotype) are historical and therefore unstable. In opposition to any reification of geographical, cultural, or social boundaries, this volume shows that people who (self-)identify as indigenous share a multitude of practices with the rest of society and that the association between indigenous identification and alterity is the product of a specific political history. Beyond Alterity is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding indigenous identity, race, and Mexican history and politics. Contributors Ariadna Acevedo-Rodrigo Laura Cházaro Michael T. Ducey Paul K. Eiss José Luis Escalona-Victoria Vivette García Deister Peter Guardino Emilio Kourí Paula López Caballero Elsie Rockwell Diana Lynn Schwartz Gabriela Torres-Mazuera

¿Puedes encontrar en un cactus el sentido de la vida? Una gran novela cómica, un diario de viaje absurdo y disparatado de un español vagando por Estados Unidos «Estados Unidos era otra cosa. Uno no iba a California a batirse con la vida, sino a reconciliarse con ella, así me lo imaginaba yo. Ya no tenía veintitrés años, ya no buscaba ningún límite de mí mismo, los conocía de sobra. Al contrario, pensaba que a lo mejor hasta era capaz de ponerme una gorra, tomar coca-colas y creerme que el mundo era un lugar sencillo en el que no merecían la pena las complicaciones. Era tan fácil como colocarse unos shorts y dar palmadas en la espalda de todo bicho viviente que te encontraras. Bueno, quizá no hacía falta llegar a tanto.» La vida de Agustín es un desastre. A los 37 años, continúa viviendo en casa de sus padres, su novia le ha abandonado y acaba de ser despedido de su trabajo como profesor de literatura. Aunque el descenso a los infiernos parece no tener fin, en realidad es complicado empeorar. Por eso, un plan tan demencial como marcharse durante el verano a la Universidad de Stanford, en California, para seguir un curso sobre cactus, resulta una alternativa aceptable. Para quien ya es extranjero de su vida, poco importa estar lejos o cerca. Rodrigo Muñoz Avia construye en esta novela un recorrido irónico y certero por Estados Unidos que rompe con los límites del tópico. El viaje absurdo y disparatado de un antihéroe que, desde el distanciamiento que le proporciona su cinismo, intenta -sin demasiadas esperanzas- encontrar el sentido a una existencia tozudamente inmutable, inmune a ser marcada por cualquier objetivo a medio o largo plazo. La crítica ha dicho... « Cactus, además de un viaje iniciático a una tierra prometida, [...], es el descubrimiento, con enorme carga poética, del paisaje norteamericano para disfrute de las nuevas generaciones.» Juan Ángel Juristo, ABC

La comprensión lectora en la enseñanza del español LE/L2: de la teoría a la práctica presents state-of-the-art theory and teaching practices for integrating reading skills into the teaching of Spanish. The book bridges a conspicuous gap between research supporting reading as a key component of language acquisition and actual practice by discussing how to implement reading successfully in and out of the classroom. Written entirely in Spanish, the book focuses on the needs of Spanish language learners with the goal of motivating students to read in the target language and work with diverse types of texts and genres. Written in a clear and accessible manner, La comprensión lectora en la enseñanza del español LE/L2: de la teoría a la práctica is an essential resource for teachers of Spanish at all levels. It is an excellent reference book for language teachers who wish to integrate reading into the teaching of the Spanish language.

Because of the long dominance of Mexico’s leading political party, the Partido Revolucionario Institucional, the campaigns of its presidential candidates were never considered relevant in determining the victor. This book offers an ethnography of the Mexican political system under PRI hegemony, focusing on the relationship between the formal democratic structure of the state and the unofficial practices of the underlying political culture, and addressing the question of what purpose campaigns serve when the outcome is predetermined. Discussing Mexican presidential politics from the perspectives of anthropology, political science, and communications science, the authors analyze the 1988 presidential campaign of Carlos Salinas de Gortari—the last great campaign of the PRI to display the characteristics traditionally found in the twentieth century. These detailed descriptions of campaign events show that their ritualistic nature expressed both a national culture and an aura of domination. The authors describe the political and cultural context in which this campaign took place—an authoritarian presidential system that dated from the 1920s—and explain how the constitutional provisions of the state interacted with the informal practices of the party to produce highly scripted symbolic rituals. Their analysis probes such topics as the meanings behind the candidate’s behavior, the effects of public opinion polling, and the role of the press, then goes on to show how the system has begun to change since 2000. By dealing with the campaign from multiple perspectives, the authors reveal it as a rite of passage that sheds light on the political culture of the country. Their study expands our understanding of authoritarianism during the years of PRI dominance and facilitates comparison of current practices with those of the past.

NOVEL OF LOVE AND WAR AMONG THE MEN OF SPAIN'S BLUE DIVISION SENT BY SPAIN TO FIGHT IN RUSSIA IN 1941 First published in its English translation by Anthony Kerrigan in 1956, this novel is an account of the Spanish nationalists who fought against the Soviets—as well as loyalist refugees—on the Eastern Front during World War II. Here, Spanish journalist and writer Rodrigo Royo recounts vividly his experiences as a former member of the famed “Blue Division” that was sent by Spain to fight in Russia in 1941. After the war, he became attached to the United Nations in New York as correspondent for the Madrid daily, Arriba.

Although relations with Central America dominated U.S. foreign policy with its southern neighbors during the 1980s, relations with Mexico will likely shape U.S. foreign policy in the next decade. This book examines the troubled nature of the triangular link between Mexico, Central America, and the United States in order to understand the implications of U.S. policy for peace and development in the Western Hemisphere. The book begins with an analysis of Mexico's foreign policy and its historical role in seeking diplomatic solutions to volatile situations in Central America. The authors then assess the probable impact on the region of increased economic integration, particularly the U.S.-Mexico free trade agreement, especially important in light of Mexico's enormous debt and immigration issues. Special attention is also given to diplomatic aspects of the relationship, with a focus on the process of negotiations to resolve conflicts in Central America. A lengthy epilogue offers critical commentary on key issues discussed in the text by such prominent figures as Jesse Jackson, Carlos Vilas, David Ibarra, and Guadalupe Gonzales.

This book will examine the gradual assembly and consolidation of Portuguese fiscal policy in the second half of the fifteenth century, providing a comparative analysis of the Portuguese State’s finances and fiscal dynamics with other Western European monarchies. This book examines relevant aspects of the Portuguese Royal finances, particularly the different instruments employed to provide income and the rubrics involving all types of expenditure between the reigns of Afonso V and Manuel I at the dawn of Modern Ages. The analysis of Portugal’s case will also serve as a main conducting wire to a broader fiscal examination of other Latin-rooted Mediterranean and North Atlantic kingdoms. This book will be of interest to students and researchers of economic history, fiscal history, economic theory and history of economic thought, as well as students of Medieval History, the history of the Western Europe and the Iberian Peninsula.