Social marginalization and its relationship with cultural participation in Mexico

Abstract

Mexico is a country with a wide range of social marginalization. The intersection of this phenomenon and cultural participation has been little studied. Bearing this in mind, the central question of this work is: can the attendance toc ultural events and the type of events in which Mexicans participate be related to their marginalization level? In order to answer this question, a qualitative exploratory study was designed. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews (N=247) infour Mexican states (Mexico City, Tamaulipas, Estado de Mexico, and Oaxaca). Data were processed through a thematic analysis that shows a relationship between marginalization and cultural participation in three large subjects: the facility or difficulty to participate incultural activities and events,the expressed interest in it, and the perceived benefits of the interviewee on these actions. These topics vary according to the marginalization level, confirming the need for cultural policy design to include marginalization as a key issue of cultural participation.