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Naturalizing Neoliberalism and the De-Mexicanization of the Tequila Industry

Author

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  • Marie Sarita Gaytán

    (Department of Sociology and Gender Studies, 380 S 1530 E Room 301, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA)

  • Sarah Bowen

    (Department of Sociology, Campus Box 8107, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA)

Abstract

Although scholars agree that nationalism remains an important aspect of the new vocabulary of neoliberalism, little is known about how these discourses operate on the ground and in particular contexts. In this paper, we investigate how a specific adaption of national identity, one that underscores the values of cultural integrity, is used to naturalize neoliberal shifts in the tequila industry. Tequila has long circulated in the images and myths of Mexican identity. However, in the last two decades, the Mexican government has increasingly relied on tequila's reputation as the nation's ‘spirit’ to obscure changes in tequila regulatory policies that are linked to broader neoliberal changes in Mexico. Extralocal actors—in particular, multinational companies—have more influence over the direction the industry is taking and the institutions that regulate it, while tequila production is increasingly untethered from the communities and traditions that make it distinct. Here, we examine how private and public actors mobilize the language of authenticity, place, and quality to justify the adoption of neoliberal measures in the tequila industry.

Suggested Citation

  • Marie Sarita Gaytán & Sarah Bowen, 2015. "Naturalizing Neoliberalism and the De-Mexicanization of the Tequila Industry," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 47(2), pages 267-283, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:47:y:2015:i:2:p:267-283
    DOI: 10.1068/a130281p
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Casas, Rosalba, 2006. "Between traditions and modernity: Technological strategies at three tequila firms," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 407-419.
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