Social Actors and Modification of the Riverside Landscape in Colima, Mexico, in the 19th century

Abstract

The different social representations that residents of the city of Colima held with respect to local rivers in the second half of the 19^th century influenced landscape changes in that setting. To analyze this phenomenon, we adopted the posture of Serge Moscovici, a psychologist who argues that representations foster the elaboration of a social object shared by a group of people that is used to facilitate the communication process and to propose behaviors. Results identified five groups who had made the most representations and modifications of the landscape. They were classified as travelers, small businessmen, politicians, local intellectuals, and doctors. Though their representations of the landscape were diverse, several emphasized three specific dimensions: aesthetic representations; those related to progress; and those that expressed a concern for safety. These representations were incorporated into discourses that either promoted or discredited various elements of the landscape, including bridges, canals, rice crops, orchards, and public bathrooms, among others.