Digital Commons Network^™

The Fine Print Of The Mexican Energy Reform, Guillermo J. Garcia Sanchez

Guillermo J. Garcia Sanchez

Five years ago, when Mexico transformed its energy sector, most commentators were worried about the government’s capacity to implement the reform. What would the upstream contracts look like? Would the auctions be transparent? How would international companies react? After two successful auction rounds, 107 signed contracts, and the creation of viable regulatory agencies to manage and monitor the reform agenda, the questions have changed. Today, Mexico’s capacity to implement energy reforms and attract foreign investment is no longer in doubt. Today, the most pressing questions about the reform concern its long-term sustainability. Can it survive the Mexican electoral cycles? Will …

Mexico's Energy Reform And The 2012 U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Agreement. An Opportunity For Efficient, Effective And Safe Exploitation Of The Gulf Of Mexico, Guillermo J. Garcia Sanchez

Guillermo J. Garcia Sanchez

Nature knows no legal boundaries. Resources cannot be stopped by walls with barbwire; no matter how high some people want to build them. They cross- national territories and expand under their logic. They belong to many nations, and they are there for the responsible exploitation of their communities. The Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) and its rich hydrocarbon deposits are no exceptions. The implication of this is that for the development of this enclosed sea area to be efficient, effective, and safe it requires not only the cooperation of government officials but also the inclusion of other actors, such as academic …

Assessment And Comparison Of Aviation Manufacturing Industries Throughout Mexico And Brazil, Omar E. Morsi, Kelly A. Whealan-George, Aaron D. Clevenger

Aaron D. Clevenger

This literature review serves to provide insight and understanding in regards to the evolving aviation manufacturing industry throughout the globe and more specifically, Mexico and Brazil. Increased demand for aircraft units both in the commercial and private sectors have led to unprecedented expansions in aircraft manufacturing across the industry. In order to illuminate certain potentials and current growth levels of such industries, this review will delve into an array of information and specifications in regards to economic, political, and cultural influences throughout both Mexican and Brazilian markets respectively. In conclusion, the review will identify the transformation of an aviation manufacturing …

Catalinia, A New Scorpion Genus From Southern California, Usa And Northern Baja California, Mexico (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), Michael E. Soleglad, Richard F. Ayrey, Matthew R. Graham, Victor Fet

Victor Fet

Genus Catalinia, gen. nov. (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae) is described from southern California, USA and Baja California, Mexico. The genus is composed of four species formerly placed in Pseudouroctonus: Catalinia minima (Kraepelin, 1911), comb. nov. (type species), C. andreas (Gertsch et Soleglad, 1972), comb. nov., C. castanea (Gertsch et Soleglad, 1972), comb. nov., and C. thompsoni, comb. nov. (Gertsch et Soleglad, 1972). Major diagnostic characters of Catalinia include a carapace with a very weak anterior indentation, a very stout metasoma with little or no tapering from segment I to V, and a mating plug with two partial bases. Evidence is presented suggesting …

Mapping Researcher Mobility: Measuring Research Collaboration Among Apec Economies, Ali Radloff

Ali Radloff

Researcher mobility is an important form of cross-border education (CBE). It has the potential to generate significant benefits for economies as expert scholars and scientists come together to solve some of the most pressing challenges in the contemporary world. Among members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Community (APEC) researcher mobility can strengthen ties between economies and enable the minimisation of barriers to economic growth and sustainability. There are not currently any comparable or rigorous data available on researcher mobility among APEC economies. Proxy measures are needed to gain a sense of the extent to which researchers in APEC economies are collaborating …

A Sense Of Belonging: Professor Works With Indigenous Migrant Communities In The United States And Mexico, Travis Clines

Óscar F. Gil-García

A New Scorpion Genus (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae) From Mexico, Michael E. Soleglad, Victor Fet

Victor Fet

A new vaejovid genus from Mexico, Franckeus, gen. nov., is described based on unique neobothriotaxy. Species placed in this genus are from the Vaejovis “nigrescens” group (previously called the “nitidulus” group). Six species comprise this new genus, distributed throughout Mexico (mainland as well as Baja California Sur): Franckeus nitidulus, F. rubrimanus, F. platnicki, F. minckleyi, F. kochi and F. peninsularis. A new species of the Vaejovis “nigrescens” group, Vaejovis davidi, sp. nov., is also described.

Wetland Manipulation In The Yalahau Region Of The Northern Maya Lowlands, Scott L. Fedick, Bethany A. Morrison, Bente Juhl Andersen, Sylviane Boucher, Jorge Ceja Acosta, Jennifer P. Mathews

Jennifer P Mathews

Manipulation of wetlands for agricultural purposes by the ancient Maya of southern Mexico and Central America has been a subject of much research and debate since the 1970s. Evidence for wetland cultivation systems, in the form of drained or channelized fields, and raised planting platforms, has been restricted primarily to the southern Maya Lowlands. New research in the Yalahau region of Quintana Roo, Mexico, has recorded evidence for wetland manipulation in the far northern lowlands, in the form of rock alignments that apparently functioned to control water movement and soil accumulation in seasonally inundated areas. Nearby ancient settlements date primarily …

Cenotes As Conceptual Boundary Markers At The Ancient Maya Site Of T’Isil, Quintana Roo, México, Scott L. Fedick, Jennifer P. Mathews, Kathryn Sorensen

Jennifer P Mathews

Ancient Maya communities, from small village sites to urban centers, have long posed problems to archaeologists in attempting to define the boundaries or limits of settlement. These ancient communities tend to be relatively dispersed, with settlement densities dropping toward the periphery, but lacking any clear boundary. At a limited number of sites, the Maya constructed walled enclosures or earthworks, which scholars have generally interpreted as defensive projects, often hastily built to protect the central districts of larger administrative centers during times of warfare (e.g., Demarest et al. 1997; Inomata 1997; Kurjack and Andrews 1976; Puleston and Callender 1967; Webster 2000; …

Radiocarbon Dating Of Architectural Mortar: A Case Study In The Maya Region, Quintana Roo, Mexico, Jennifer P. Mathews

Jennifer P Mathews

The use of radiocarbon dating to analyze mortar and charcoal inclusions within mortar or plaster is a useful way to date the construction of architecture, particularly when options for other chronometric methods are limited. In the Yalahau region of northern Quintana Roo, Mexico, members of the Yalahau Regional Human Ecology Project have faced challenges in dating buildings made of large blocks of stone in the Megalithic architectural style. The Megalithic style poses serious problems for any analysis, as excavating into structures with stones weighing several tons can be dangerous, expensive, and time consuming. Additionally, there are no associated sculptures, texts …

The Box Ni Group Of Naranjal, And Early Architecture Of The Maya Lowlands, Jennifer P. Mathews

Jennifer P Mathews

The distinctive Early Classic megalithic style of the northern Maya Lowlands did not exist in isolation, but rather shared a number of features with monumental architecture of the central Petén. One particularly striking example is the triadic platform grouping, found at Naranjal as well as Uaxactún and other early sites of the northern and southern lowlands. The temporal and geographic distribution of Maya triadic platform groupings are reviewed in conjunction with such shared architectural features as rounded corners. These comparisons support the early dating ofmegalithic architecture and help define the special characteristics of this northern lowland style.

Preliminary Evidence For The Existence Of A Regional Sacbe Across The Northern Maya Lowlands, Scott L. Fedick, Dawn Reid, Jennifer P. Mathews

Jennifer P Mathews

Ancient road systems have often been used by archaeologists to reconstruct interaction and political ties among prehistoric settlements. Roads built by the ancient Maya offer many insights into the political geography of the area, particularly in the northern lowlands where hieroglyphic texts are rare. This study examines ethnohistoric, historic, and archaeological data that suggest that a regional road, some 300 km in length, once spanned the northern lowlands from the modern location of Mérida to the east coast facing the island of Cozumel. The political implications of such a road, if it once existed, are discussed.

El Proyecto Costa Escondida: Arqueología Y Compromiso Comunitario A Lo Largo De La Costa Norte De Quintana Roo, México, Jeffrey B. Glover, Dominique Rissolo, Jennifer P. Mathews, Carrie A. Furman

Jennifer P Mathews

El Proyecto Costa Escondida iniciado en 2006 se diseñó para investigar las culturas marítimas previas y posteriores al contacto español, así como para estudiar el paisaje del norte de Quintana Roo, Península de Yucatán, México. Este proyecto no promueve una agenda de desarrollo “tradicional”, sino que se inserta en la crítica del desarrollo para ampliar los límites del compromiso comunitario a través del aprendizaje social. Al encontrarse lejos de los principales sitios turísticos de la costa del Caribe, el área cuenta con una industria de turismo en expansión asociada a la Isla Holbox. En este artículo se discuten las experiencias …

Regional Integration And Transnational Politics: Popular Sector Strategies In The Nafta Era, Maria Lorena Cook

Maria Lorena Cook

[Excerpt] This chapter argues that although economic integration between the United States and Mexico had been taking place for some time, it was the formal recognition of this process as represented by the discussions surrounding the North American Free Trade Agreement that facilitated transnational political action by non-state actors. Whereas the globalization of the economy and the prevalence of neoliberal economic policies may be considered by some to undermine popular sector organization and actions, formal recognition of regional economic integration in North America has produced a ‘transnational political’ arena that has expanded the resources available to non-governmental groups, increased their …

Mahogany Intertwined: Enviromateriality Between Mexico, Fiji, And The Gibson Les Paul, Jose E. Martinez-Reyes

Jose E. Martinez-Reyes

This article builds a theory of enviromateriality through a global ethnography that engages both the material culture and materiality of a tree species, Honduran mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), and the global political ecology of forest conservation. The author seeks to understand what Adorno calls the ‘constellation’ between people and mahogany by tracing human–nature relations through the global commodity chain focusing on one particular artefact, the Gibson Les Paul, an iconic solid wood electric guitar made primarily of mahogany grown in Mexico and Fiji. Enviromateriality considers three phases in which to examine the material and materiality in a variety of processes that …

Buried Treasure Or Buried Hope? The Status Of Mexico-U.S. Transboundary Aquifers Under International Law, Gabriel E. Eckstein

Gabriel Eckstein

Transboundary aquifers found along the 2,000 mile-long border between Mexico and the United States are not governed by any treaty. Yet, these aquifers are the primary source of water for many of the twelve million people who live in this parched region. The region’s groundwater, however, is being over-exploited and contaminated, which is threatening the very life that it currently sustains. As populations continue to expand and current rates of haphazard development persist, the absence of an agreement for the management and allocation of this critical resource could lead to bi-national economic, social and environmental tragedies. This study reviews groundwater …

Rethinking Transboundary Ground Water Resources Management: A Local Approach Along The Mexico-U.S. Border, Gabriel E. Eckstein

Gabriel Eckstein

Despite more than forty years of promises to the contrary, neither Mexico nor the United States have shown any inclination to pursue a border-wide pact to coordinate management of the border region’s transboundary ground water resources. As a result, these critical resources – which serve as the sole or primary source of fresh water for most border communities on both sides – are being overexploited and polluted, leaving the local population with little recourse. Imminently unsustainable, the situation portends a grim future for the region. In the absence of national governmental interests and involvement on either side of the frontier, …

Gender Equality, Community Divisions And Autonomy: The Prospera Conditional Cash Transfer Program In Chiapas, Mexico, Óscar G. Gil-García

Óscar F. Gil-García

Identification Of Key Productive Sectors In The Mexican Economy, Isaac Sánchez-Juárez, David Revilla, Adelaido García-Andrés

Isaac Sánchez-Juárez

This article focuses on identifying what are the key sectors with high potential for drag induced investment in the Mexican economy, also characterizes the sectors according to their hierarchy, impact and degree of articulation. To achieve this the input-output matrix national 2003 was used (disaggregated into 20 sectors and 79 sub-sectors), provided by the official government agency responsible for generating statistical information, which applied the traditional method of calculation of multipliers which takes into account both relations hierarchical such as circular between the productive sectors of Rasmussen (1956). The originality of the work lies in the application of the social …

Fiscal Policies And Subnational Economic Growth In Mexico, Isaac Sánchez-Juárez, Arwiphawee Srithongrung

Isaac Sánchez-Juárez

This study investigates the effects of taxes and public investment on economic growth of Mexican states. The subnational government finance data were drawn from 32 states during the period of 1993 to 2011. Correcting for long-term trends and isolating cointegration effects between economic growth and public finance, the empirical results indicate that taxes have negative effect on growth and the effect can be seen in both transitory and permanent manners. As predicted by growth theory, the effects of public investment on subnational growth are statistically significant and positive in both short and long-runs. On the other hand, we find that …

Crecimiento E Institucionalización De La Ciencia Política En México, Fernando Barrientos Del Monte

Fernando Barrientos Del Monte

El balance de la ciencia política en México en los primeros tres lustros del siglo XXI muestra una ciencia institucionalizada, con solo observar el número de programas de grado y posgrado, publicaciones, asociaciones e investigadores dedicados a cultivarla. Al mismo tiempo se mantiene su fragmentación interna, propia de la disciplina desde sus orígenes. Todavía no se asume como una ciencia al singular (ciencia política) y se sigue pensando en plural (ciencias políticas); empero la democratización en el país la impactó favorablemente pues abrió un abanico de temas que requieren explicaciones propiamente politológicas, lo que ha impulsado el crecimiento de la …

Current Administration Of U.S. Antidumping And Countervailing Duty Laws: Implications For Prospective U.S.-Mexico Free Trade Talks, Stephen J. Powell, Craig R. Giesse, Craig L. Jackson

Stephen Joseph Powell

This Article discusses the current administration of the U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty laws in proceedings involving products from Mexico. Specifically, this Article begins by providing an overview of the basic statutory and regulatory provisions of the U.S. antidumping duty law, emphasizing the application of certain provisions in cases involving imports from Mexico. The Article then focuses its discussion upon recent developments in the U.S. countervailing duty law that have had a unique effect upon Mexican exporters. The Article continues by highlighting the antidumping and countervailing duty provisions of the recently concluded U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement (the "FTA" or "Agreement"). …

México: Crecimiento Económico Regional Y Marco Institucional, Isaac L. Sánchez-Juárez, Rosa M. García

Isaac Sánchez-Juárez

En este capítulo se estudia, de forma preliminar, el papel que juegan las instituciones formales en lo general y tres tipos en particular en el crecimiento económico de México: los derechos de propiedad, la calidad gubernamental y el tipo de sistema político. De acuerdo con la mayor parte de literatura, perteneciente a la economía institucional, existe una relación positiva entre el crecimiento económico y las instituciones. Usando un modelo estándar de crecimiento, se muestra que mejores instituciones ayudan a incrementar el ingreso per cápita, a través de su impulso a la inversión y la productividad. Sobre la base del modelo …

Una Mirada Histórica Y Cultural Del Movimiento Lgbttti Mexicano, Juan Carlos Rocha Osornio

Juan Carlos Rocha Osornio, Ph.D

No abstract provided.

Journeys To Others And Lessons Of Self: Carlos Castaneda In Camposcape, Ageeth Sluis

Ageeth Sluis

Drawing on Michel Foucault’s concept of heterotopia, this article examines the importance of place and gender within constructions of race politics in Carlos Castaneda’s series on shamanism. Championing a “separate reality” predicated on an indigenous worldview, Castaneda’s lessons invited transnational middle-class youth to "journey" alongside him to camposcape—an anachronistic and idealized countryside—as a means to escape the bourgeois values of their homelands and find spiritual fulfillment in a timeless and "authentic" Mexico. Castaneda’s work proposed new viable spaces of difference in Mexico, yet inscribed these spaces with a masculinist discourse that served to neutralize the gender trouble within the counterculture …

Desarrollo Y Acceso A Telecomunicaciones, Rodrigo Garcia-Verdu

Rodrigo Garcia-Verdu

No abstract provided.

Crossing Borders In Search Of The Mother-Daughter Story: Interdependence Across Time And Distance, Ruth Belknap

Ruth A Belknap

Although studies have identified the importance of the mother–daughter relationship and of familism in Mexican culture, there is little in the literature about the mother–daughter experience after daughters have migrated to the United States. This study explores relationships between three daughters in America and their mothers in Mexico, and describes ways in which interdependence between mothers and daughters can be maintained when they are separated by borders and distance. Data collection included prolonged engagement with participants, field notes, and tape-recorded interviews. Narrative analysis techniques were used. Findings suggest mother–daughter interdependence remains. Some aspects may change, but the mother–daughter connection continues …

Integración Regional Y Políticas Transnacionales: Eitlc Y Las Estrategias Del Sector Popular En México, Maria Lorena Cook

Maria Lorena Cook

En la era del TLC se han creado nuevos intereses, recursos, aliados y arenas para la acción estratégica tanto de actors gubernamentales como no gubernamentales. Si muchas organizaciones populares vieron en el TLC una continuación de la desigualdad, sin embargo también encontraron una coyuntura para la emergencia de coaliciones transnacionales de corte popular. Así se formaron redes de apoyo entre trabajadores mexicanos y estadounidenses. Muchas organizaciones no gubermentales vencieron su desconfianza hacia los vecinos del norte. Hubo apoyo mutuo para presionar al Congreso de Estados Unidos. Con el debate en torno al TLC cambió no tanto el desarrollo institucional ni …

La Universidad Constructora De Estado, Imanol Ordorika

Imanol Ordorika

This book presents a critical analysis of State Building Universities (SBU’s) by looking at the origins, development and contemporary crisis of Mexico’s National Autonomous University under the economic and political constraints posed by neoliberal policies and globalization. The UNAM, as well as other SBU’s, has faced enormous difficulties in order to maintain its centrality on State projects.

Syringe Confiscation As An Hiv Risk Factor: The Public Health Implications Of Arbitrary Policing In Tijuana And Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Leo Beletsky, Remedios M. Lozada, Tommi Gaines, Daniela Abramovitz, Hugo Staines, Alicia Vera, Gudelia Rangel, Steffanie Strathdee, Jaime Arredondo

Leo Beletsky

Female sex workers who inject drugs (FSW-IDUs) face elevated risk for HIV/STIs and constitute a key population for public health prevention. Through direct and indirect pathways including human rights violations, policing practices like syringe confiscation can compound FSW-IDU health risk and facilitate the spread of disease. We studied correlates of experiencing syringe confiscation among FSW-IDUs in northern Mexico, where formal policy allows for syringes to be available over-the-counter without a prescription, but police practices are often at odds with the law. FSW-IDUs reporting recent syringe sharing and unprotected sex with clients in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez were administered surveys and …