Cultural complexity

Abstract

At the beginning of 2007, something attracted the attention of public opinion: 600 boarders of “La Villa de las niñas de Chalco” (a girls boarding school), presented symptoms like: dizziness, nausea, vomits and muscular problems. Once organic factors where ruled out and with the support of “medical science” an official version of the facts was constructed, backed by “science” and “experts”. “Academics” of different Mexican institutions appeared on TV giving their opinions on the subject, and surprisingly their “points of view” on the case were as implausible as those of health authorities. Even, as I will show, the “academics' versions” ended giving, maybe without wanting it, verisimilitude to the “official version” of the Ministry of Health. Interestingly, the explanations that were produced to justify the existence of that “facts” were attached, with romantic fervour, to the hypnotical-epidemiological ones developed within “mass psychology” of late XIXth century and beginnings of XXth century. This essay could be useful to understand the strange case of “La Villa de las niñas” but also to review the manner in which versions, descriptions and explanations are constructed and circulate in particular ways. Also, to understand the way in which these versions, descriptions and explanations circulate will allow us to understand the cultural complexity of any given situation.

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