title: Using History to Analyze the Learning by Observing and Pitching In Practices of Contemporary Mesoamerican Societies.
abstract: The analysis of Indigenous learning practices in Mexico and the United States typically relies on ethnography, oral history, and participant observation as the methodology for understanding the socialization processes of Mesoamerican societies. In this chapter, we consider the importance of using historical analysis as an added methodology for understanding the Indigenous learning practices by considering three case studies of Indigenous communities in Mexico, where a consideration of historical patterns have proven fruitful for understanding the contemporary Learning by Observing and Pitching In (LOPI) practices. These communities include the Nahua people of the state of Puebla, the P'urhépecha communities of the state of Michoacán, and the Nahua people of the Texcoco area to the southeast of Mexico City. We conclude that a consideration of the cultural patterns that have developed in Mesoamerican societies across time would benefit contemporary researchers as one component of their LOPI research.
authors.affiliation: Department of American Studies, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. Electronic address: flores@ku.edu.
authors.forename: Rubén
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.affiliation: Department of Curriculum & Instruction, Cultural Studies in Education Program, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Urrieta
authors.affiliation: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and CERMA-Mondes américains (UMR 8168), École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, 190 Avenue de France, 75013 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Marie-Noëlle
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Chamoux
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico.
authors.forename: David Lorente
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz and Marymount California University.
authors.forename: Angélica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D002648:Child; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D006379:Helping Behavior; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000266:history* / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D000067570:Social Learning; D058992:Social Participation / Q000266:history* / Q000523:psychology*; D012951:Socialization
keywords: Collaboration; Culture; History; Indigenous; LOPI; Learning; Mesoamerica; Methodology; Mexico; Nahua; P’urhépecha; Reciprocity