David Whisnant provides a comprehensive analysis of the dynamic
relationship between culture, power, and policy in Nicaragua over the
last 450 years. Spanning a broad spectrum of popular and traditional
expressive forms--including literature, music, film, and broadcast
media--the book explores the evolution of Nicaraguan culture, its
manipulation for political purposes, and the opposition to cultural
policy by a variety of marginalized social and regional groups.
Within the historical narrative of cultural change over time, Whisnant
skillfully discusses important case studies of Nicaraguan cultural
politics: the consequences of the unauthorized removal of archaeological
treasures from the country in the nineteenth century; the perennial
attempts by political factions to capitalize on the reputation of two
venerated cultural figures, poet Ruben Dario and rebel General Augusto
C. Sandino; and the ongoing struggle by Nicaraguan women for liberation
from traditional gender relations.
Originally published in 1995.
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