Tourism, pottery and women's work in the Magical Town of Metepec, Mexico.

Abstract

The typical city of Metepec, in the State of Mexico, has become a cultural tourism destination mainly due to its pottery production. The purpose of this paper is to examine women's work in pottery production and its relationship with tourism from a gender perspective. The research is ethnographic, exploratory and descriptive. Qualitative techniques were employed for data collection (participant observation and semi-structured interviews). Even though the majority of artisans in Metepec are male, women have adopted essential tasks in pottery production and participate actively in the sale of crafts for the tourism market. Women's work is not always visible or socially recognized due to the prevailing gender dynamics and the differences in power within the family and community contexts. The research contributes to the body of knowledge on tourism and gender in Mexico and aims to make women's contributions visible in local tourism contexts.