Everyday life and imaginary of good life in peasant communities

Abstract

The objective of the paper is to expose how the imaginary of peasant life is disrupted by the idea of modernity, generating a point of tension that opens up possibilities to subvert reality in an organized way. It is an exercise in theoretical reflection from the perspective of the Frankfurt school and critical theory through the studies of Holloway, J. (2006; 2011). The focus group technique and participant observation were used, members of peasant and indigenous communities of the Totonacapan region and the northern highlands of the state of Puebla were interviewed, the information was analyzed with bibliographic research. The results expose the tension that families experience when they are prisoners of their own desires to own the merchandise and achieve modern ways of life. It is understood that the act of consuming meanings of modernity leads to underestimating the peasant culture, however, they continue to be a reference of ways of life beyond their contradictions; it is understood that they are fighting for life in the face of the irruption of capitalism to expropriate their natural resources. This paper is based on the research carried out by Lefebvre (1972), Heller (1994), Lindón (2000) on everyday life.