The Department of Popular Culture, Conaculta, and the Secretary of Culture of Morelos pay homage to the anthropologist.
Rodolfo Stavenhagen considered that culture -in particular popular culture in its various manifestations -and education "have an important role today: strengthening peace and harmony in Mexico."
During the opening of the seminar, anthropologist Stavenhagen was honored by the Department of Popular Culture, the National Council for Culture and Arts (Conaculta), and the Ministry of Culture of Morelos, for his career and contribution to popular culture.
Popular cultures. Knowledge and recognition. Tribute to Rodolfo Stavenhagen, is an open seminar consisting of four forums, of which the first two occur in the Borda Garden, Cuernavaca, Morelos, with experts and former directors of the Department of Popular Cultures in order to plan new directions of public policies on popular culture.
The meeting was antended by the Governor of Morelos; Director General of Popular Culture, Alejandra Frausto; Secretary of Culture, Christine Bremer Faesler as well as experts such as José del Val Blanco, Lourdes Arizpe Schlosser, Leonel Duran, among others. Stavenhagen stated that todey the concept of popular culture enjoys recognition in public policy as a result of hard work that began 36 years ago with the creation of the Department of Popular Culture.
"After more than three decades of work to shape public policy on popular culture, today we can talk more concretely what truly are expressions of popular culture. Today they have a significant role in the country, because they express knowledge, traditions and trends that shape Mexico ".
Stavenhagen recalled that for many years in the search for giving identity concepts of indigeneity failed to give an identity to popular culture. Popular culture was also a subject of an elitist view that excluded everything that did not belong to the field of Fine Arts.
He said that it was the work of various groups in Mexican society and the efforts of UNESCO to provide protection to tangible and intangible (identity and culture) cultural heritage that helped to create a clear definition of popular culture.
During the inauguration, the Director General of Popular Culture, Alejandra Frausto, thanked the organizing institutions and evoked the wisdom of popular culture to understand what is happening in the country.
"They are wise voices of our country that promote camaraderie and generosity. I recall this wisdom helps us meet the challenges we are exposed today. The vortex leaves little space for reflection, but hopefully with this tribute and this forum we will be able to fight the challenges, "said Alejandra Frausto.
After her speech, the Forum 1 Popular Culture: inequality and revitalization was opened and it was coordinated by Lourdes Arizpe with the participation of researchers Leonel Durán Solis, José del Val Blanco and Miriam Morales Sahuenza.
Forums 1 and 2 of Tribute-seminar Popular Cultures: Knowledge and recognition took place in the Jardin Borda in Cuernavaca, Morelos. The Forum 3 Processes of urbanization, youth culture and identity in border regions, continued on October 31st at El Colegio de la Frontera Norte in Tijuana, Baja California. Finally, the Forum 4 Culture and Public Policy in the context of twenty-first century, will be held on November 13th at the National Museum of Popular Culture.
Rodolfo Stavenhagen, was born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1932. He is anthropologist and sociologist who created the awareness to recognize, preserve and revalue the ancient cultures in order for Mexico to achieve full unity and national integration.
In 1976, Stavenhagen had a long conversation with the then secretary of public education and raised awareness of the importance of design and implementation of a cultural policy that was aimed at the promotion of indigenous cultures in the country, as part of national identity. Based on these conversations the Department of Popular Culture was created.
He has a PhD in Sociology from the University of Paris and is emeritus professor and researcher at El Colegio de Mexico. He has been recognized with over 20 awards and national and international recognitions for his contributions as a researcher, consultant and humanist.
http://www.conaculta.gob.mx/detalle-nota/?id=36664#.VFGCn026Wii