Includes bibliographical references (pages 247-259) and index.
Contents:
Introduction: Tarraz: a place, a coffee, and a people -- Tarraz's founding and settlement -- Coffee, downward mobility, and political power in Tarraz -- Maintaining the order: gender, class, state authority, and violence -- Revolt in Tarraz -- The civil war and its consequences -- Migration and shifting class, racial, and national identities -- National belonging and exclusion beyond Costa Rica's borders -- Conclusion: Costa Rica's Cold War exceptionalism.
Summary:
"This work narrates the development of a historically remote--although internationally celebrated--coffee-growing region from the early 19th century through to the first decade of the 21st century. It considers the nation-building process from the margins to question traditional scholarly works that have reproduced, rather than deconstructed, Costa Rica's exceptionalist national mythologies that imagine this isthmian republic as Central America's 'white,' democratic, nonviolent, and egalitarian republic. The book recognizes that even though Costa Rica's exceptionalist rendition draws on some undeniable realities, it thoughtfully considers the origins, applicability, and longevity of the different elements of this exceptionalist master narrative. In particular, it suggests the mythology emerged during the Cold War, as revolution, civil war, military dictatorship, and state violence plagued much of Central America. In this same period, Costa Rica not only retained a relatively stable democratic system, but policymakers eliminated the standing army in 1948. This widely embraced and celebrated historical narrative, however, distorts as much as it illuminates the experience of contemporary and historical actors"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.