Sorrows of Zapotitlán: Violence and insecurity in the world of subalternity

Abstract

Lynching is not an infrequent way of conflict resolution and punishment in various areas of contemporary Mexico. Focussing on a very notorious case, a discussion is conducted on the many macro social determinants of these types of collective behavior, pointing to the role of violence as a form of social mediation in enviroments of massive poverty together with the articulation of a plurality of institutional arrangements and cultural systems.