In the second half of the twentieth century, the Colombian
historiography underwent significant changes in its essence. This, with the
previous professionalization, institutionalization (concretized in the creation
of the Colombian Academy of History) and the incursion of different
historiographical trends in the historical discipline. The Caribbean -
Colombian and Cartagena - specifically historiography were not strangers to
this trend. As aggregates academies in the region, with a narrative trend of
history, a little less risky, compared to other regions, with respect to
thematic proposals concerning the New History and the complement of
interdisciplinary arise. Thus, for a long time concentrated their studies and
analysis in temporalities, variables and specific social actors in the colonial
and independent´s period.
For other hand, women as historical subject, was the initial process
they marginalized Colombian historiographical construction. Your raid was
motivated largely by the achievements of the feminist movement in Europe and
the U.S. and whose impact - lucky - in Colombia, led to its historical
inclusion when Suzy Bermudez from anthropology I placed at the scene of debate.
Thus, the historiography of women has grown in recent decades, with topics
relating to political participation, social and legal status and their
contribution in different periods of history. However, this inclusion was not
free to adopt the heroic narrative models - own - traditional historiography as
required to build their own space in the academy methodological step. Also, to
have the station voice of women elites as pioneers in the public debate on the
women’s right.
Martha Lux -Psychologist and historian- presents in the text:
"Women in Cartagena de Indias in the century XVII. What they did, they did
and did and cures prescribing them", an analysis in relation to the
discourses uttered on women of colonial Cartagena, in the late sixteenth and
early seventeenth´s century. The author makes use of specific documentary sources
such as medicinal speeches Nieto Juan Méndez, the work of Alonso de Sandoval,
the evidence collected during the canonization of Pedro Claver and the pastoral
letters of bishops. Methodologically confronts the physician with religious
discourse, and through the evidence establishes approaches to the elements of
the social and cultural life of Cartagena's colonial society, to reconstruct
aspects of female -individual and collective - identity of the time. Rate the
difficulty of the sources used for this research because of its origin - but at
the same time, notes his contribution on the issue of identities of colonial
women. Denoting the use the author has given these documentary sources, shows
their importance and historiographical contribution to a little- studied
national and local levels.
Similarly, suggests the variables appended to this research and have
been key in the analysis of this theme: family, miscegenation, honor, strength,
gender, including widely studied from an interdisciplinary national and international
level . Here, Martha Lux also clarifies the functionality of the concepts used
in this work as gender, ethnicity, habitus, symbolic capital, cultural
circularity as important variables that help to understand the internal and
external dynamics of society colonially text consists three chapters: first,
Cartagena de Indias in transit sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; second ,
Cartagena Women auscultated by the Doctor Méndez Nieto and third, Heals the
soul and body.
An introductory paragraph of the text, induces a historical and
geographical approach to colonial Cartagena de Indias, his evolution as urban
space and the growing importance that the city acquired over time. Moreover,
explicit characterization of medical discourse regarding religious, constant in
the life of colonial women. In the first chapter : " Cartagena de Indias
in transit sixteenth and seventeenth´s century ," Martha Lux produces a
geo - historical reference on colonial Cartagena de Indias, showing nascent
organizational elements of the urban environment ( churches, hospitals ,
convents , streets, squares, fortifications , public works ... ) , evidencing
the early architectural breakthrough that reinforced the revealing nature of
Cartagena, as a strategic site for the Spanish Crown. Similarly, she
illustrates urban elements, demographic and trade , resulted in the increase of
the population, " development" , concerns about health , hygiene in
public spaces and the civil and ecclesiastical hierarchy .
For another context own hand, makes early contact between Spaniards and
Indians , as an element of interaction "violent" that contributed
significantly to the cultural and biological miscegenation. In this regard,
evidence that the roles played by both Indian and Indian settings servile
relations as cultural mediators and the effect of caring relationships between
masters and indian. So , the author , points tax and social effects of the
black raid in the port of Cartagena , by providing re- configurations in
everyday practices in the family , religion , ways of thinking and symbolic and
evaluative conception of black .
This denotes the "white” dominance in the city, mainly people of
Andalusian origin, in respect of the hegemony of the civil power, confirmed by
control of the House of Trade, which in turn regulates the passage of women
Latin conditioned under male guardianship. On the other hand, shows the
distribution of responsibilities and duties, showing an occupational
hierarchical order in colonial Cartagena. Finally, it shows the role of the
church as an evangelist and regulator of morality and its tensions with the
order civil.
In another aspect scores conception they had of women in colonial
society, Marian idealization of motherhood and selflessness and how this factor
determined the relationship between men and women. In this sense, according to
the author, what were reinforced imaginary legitimate and illegitimate, good
and evil, sacred and profane, based on the interest of a social whitening and
cultural.
Martha Lux, evidence of gender inequality and class, patriarchal and
class under a regime that favored social status of men in legal and social
level. In this respect, honor scores supremacy in this society. Essentially, it
is evident that although combining this type of order in colonial society ,
transgressed practices expressed in the miscegenation , concubinage ,
infanticide , prostitution, exposing the complexity of the context concretized
in practice demonstrated cultural circularity.
By second chapter, "Women of Cartagena auscultated by the doctor
Méndez Nieto " shows the close relationship established with the physician
Méndez Nieto with all women from colonial society , both elites and
popular sectors. Notes that due to the precarious circumstances in colonial
society, physicians were early residents of this area and as regards medical
practice also existed a hierarchy of roles between the physician, the
surgeon and the case of Mendez apothecary. By Nieto, the author highlights
their important role in colonial Cartagena sixteenth´s and seventeenth´s
century, as their records allowed a rough reading of the social and cultural
life of the period. In complement, showing the relationship of the physician
with government officials , which earned influence to avoid prosecution for
their dubious origins .
The author shows the influence that the academic and intellectual
training Méndez Nieto, which allowed him to be open to moral thought and
naturalist, achieving combined theory of scientific knowledge with the lore .
In addition to his interest in restoring points between the body and soul of
the patients, acting as a mediator and confessor of bodies and souls. According
to the text , Méndez Nieto won a very close relationship and even "
complicit " with their patients , allowing you to be flexible with the
reality they experienced in their desires , frustrations and pains, on issues
related to sexuality , hygiene, cosmetic , physiological care and issues of the
soul ( as melancholia ) ,theirs area in the social determinants of each
member of society colonial.
In another instance, the author reveals the norms that prevailed in
colonial society with regard to the relationship between marriage, heritage and
family, as transcendental to maintain status and symbolic capital, mainly in
the elite member. It shows that the prestige and honor were two determining
variables in decisions that guided both men and women around the personal -
conduct outside marriage or religious - which also gave prestige. Although the
text is also evidence the character prevented Méndez Nieto mulatto with such
revealing incident in their reports with them , but still leaving record of
activities , dynamics and roles of these women in the getsemanicense space and
networks gender and class solidarity against some circumstances.
In the final chapter: “Heals the soul and the body," Martha Lux
evidence strategies evangelists of the church, as expressed in the presence of
bishops and clergy as Pedro Claver . Sample initial communication difficulties
and cultural problems that led to implement strategies of evangelization by the
religious institution. This as “teaching " strategy to control these
communities. Points out that the church was a place of complaint and
reproduction relations of domination and power which came to regulate the
dress, cultural practices such as dance and social practices as a symbol of
respect and status. El contribution of this paper lies in its dual
contribution, not only in regard to colonial historiography, but in the history
of women. This text seems to respond to emergencies face stigma and simplicity
of the colony as a temporary, negative and reductionist characteristics and
historical claim of the female subject.
However, for the main topics addressed, as is the issue of identity,
something very complex, the contributions are subjected to only view specific
characters (Méndez Nieto and religious figures). Though this is a good
beginning, necessary to contrast these approaches to what was written of women,
for example, from the rest of the colonial institutions and from other social
groups. The latter , of course, not diminishing the investigative work of
Martha Lux, but - on the contrary, suggests its ability to open a new door to
new methodological and theoretical approaches in the history of women and
colonial history.
BY: CAROLINA OROZCO MARRUGO
UNIVERSITY OF CARTAGENA
CARTAGENA DE INDIAS-COLOMBIA
