Threads of Rebellion: Indigenous Gender Dynamics among Nahua, Purépecha, and Totonac women in the Mexico State, Mexico

Saira Genoveva Galindo Castro
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

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Abstract
This comprehensive research investigates the complex nexus of agency, power dynamics, cultural nuances, resistance, and indigenous perspectives, with a particular focus on feminist theories and insights from Sherry Ortner. This research focuses on the perpetuation of traditional gender roles among Nahua, Purépecha, and Totonac women and girls migrating to rural-urban areas in the State of Mexico, specifically San Francisco Tepojaco, Cuautitlán Izcalli, Mexico State, Mexico. It examines how ethnic cultural frameworks and the prevalence of gender-based violence contribute to these roles, utilizing Pierre Bourdieu’s habitus theory. The study advocates for contesting and reforming entrenched gender norms to achieve genuine gender parity. Adopting a materialist and transnational lens, the study underscores the critical need to redefine notions of agency, tethering them to a critique of neoliberal capitalism and confronting the entrenched gender binary prevalent in the neoliberal epoch. It underscores the paramountcy of active and quotidian agency, advocating for an intersectional approach that grapples with the multifaceted dimensions of gender oppression, inclusive of the unique experiences of Nahua, Purépecha, and Totonac communities. Moreover, it underscores the efficacy of collective agency in challenging habitus and reshaping deeply ingrained cultural norms. Within this framework, the paper delves into the perpetuation of traditional gender roles among Nahua, Purépecha, and Totonac women and girls migrating to rural-urban areas in the State of Mexico.
Keywords: Agency, Power, Culture, Gender, Domination, Feminist Theories.