SLAS POSTGRADUATE TRAVEL GRANT 2010
FIELDWORK REPORT
Research project title: Spanish and Mexican Democratisationin Comparative Perspective: Contrasting Internationalisations.
Brief description of research project: This project is a comparative study between the internationalisation processes in Spain and Mexico and the influence these had in the transitions to democracy in both countries.
The stark contrast between the socio-political and cultural provisions in NAFTA and the EU had a direct influence in the processes of democratisation of Mexico and Spain respectively. Whilst an implicit democratic conditionality for membership into the EC proved an incentive to Spain to democratise, NAFTA’s lack of any political conditions proved an incentive for the Mexican regime to hold back on democracy. What is more, the social, cultural and political consequences of internationalising through EC membership had a positive democratic effect in Spain. The lack of any such provision in NAFTA represented a missed opportunity to support Mexico’s democratic consolidation.
By using the examples of the EU (or EC) and NAFTA, and the particular case studies of Spain and Mexico, this project will contribute towards the field of democratisation theory by developing the hypothesis that the way in which a country in transition to democracy internationalises can be an important factor in the success with which a country achieves the consolidation of democracy.
Fieldwork period: 14th May to 5th June 2010.
Brief description of the research trip: The funds made available to me from SLAS allowed me to spend a period of three weeks in Mexico; of the three weeks two were spent in Mexico City and a third in Guadalajara.
Main objectives: The main objective of this trip was to consult a great deal of sources spread throughout a number of libraries in Mexico City; a particular objective was to exhaust the resources available at the Colmex and the Universidad Iberoamericana’s Libraries. The Colmex library was of particular interest because of the wide range of working papers and unpublished research from that institution that is held there. The library at the Universidad Iberoamericana also has a very impressive collection of secondary sources on the Mexican transition to democracy plus an unparalleled number of sources on the Porfiriato and the Mexican Revolution.
A somehow secondary objective, but by no means any less important, was to conduct interviews with certain key personalities (Dr Luis de la Callle Pardo and the journalist Carmen Aristegui) of the Mexican transition to democracy. At the same time, it was my intention to establish contacts in Mexico with the aim of securing a longer research stay in the country to conduct more comprehensive fieldwork and to raise my profile as an academic in the country.
Results and assessment: Overall the trip was a success. The funds provided by SLAS allowed me to spend a number of days in Mexico City exploring the resources available at the already mentioned libraries. I was also able to interview Carmen Aristegui – who is one of the most (if not the most) respected journalists in the country and an observer at Mexico’s Electoral Commission – and the academic Dr Luis de la Calle, a former chief negotiator for Mexico during the NAFTA negotiations.
However, although these were incredibly helpful experiences, the most fruitful part of the trip was, somehow unexpectedly, the time spent at ITESO University in Guadalajara. There I was not only able to explore the different resources available at the University’s library and engage with the academic community established there, but I was also able to build a network of contacts that led to the offer of a further and longer stay as a visiting lecturer/researcher. It is my sincere believe that a visiting position at ITESO University will allow me to engage with specific research on the Mexican transition to democracy whilst taking part in other relevant academic experiences (lecturing and research seminars) that will help me to grow as a researcher.
There is no doubt that this was a very successful trip that will have, in the longer term, a long-lasting effect on my profile as an academic as well as an immediate impact on my current research project. My PhD thesis could not be completed without fieldwork in one of the countries being used as case study; I cannot thank the Society enough for the financial and intellectual support provided.