Born with the destiny of becoming a Mayan sacred midwife, Chona P‹¨«rez has carried on centuries-old traditional Indigenous American birth and healing practices over her 85 years. At the same time, Chona developed new approaches to the care of pregnancy, newborns, and mothers based on her own experience and ideas. In this way, Chona has contributed to both the cultural continuities and cultural changes of her town over the decades.
In Developing Destinies, Barbara Rogoff illuminates how individuals worldwide build on cultural heritage from prior generations and at the same time create new ways of living. Throughout Chona's lifetime, her Guatemalan town has continued to use longstanding Mayan cultural practices, such as including children in a range of community activities and encouraging them to learn by observing and contributing. But the town has also transformed dramatically since the days of Chona's own childhood. For instance, although Chona's upbringing included no formal schooling, some of her grandchildren have gone on to attend university and earn scholarly degrees. The lives of Chona and her town provide extraordinary examples of how cultural practices are preserved even as they are adapted and modified.
Developing Destinies is an engaging narrative of one remarkable person's life and the life of her community that blends psychology, anthropology, and history to reveal the integral role that culture plays in human development. With extensive photographs and accounts of Mayan family life, medical practices, birth, child development, and learning, Rogoff adeptly shows that we can better understand the role of culture in our lives by examining how people participate in cultural practices. This landmark book brings theory alive with fascinating ethnographic findings that advance our understanding of childhood, culture, and change.
Industry Reviews
"For anyone interested in understanding the soul of a Maya town, Barbara Rogoff's new book Developing Destinies: A Mayan Midwife and Town (Oxford University Press, 2011) will give you a good idea. Barbara Rogoff breaks new ground in the way she thinks about change in a traditional society." -- Arte Maya Tzutuhil Newsletter
"The beautifully written narrative is highly accessible, even gripping. It is enriched by photos that span decades. The account is personal and moving, weaving in stories of the author's own evolution as a participant-observer and ethnographer... At the same time, it has very broad reach, illuminating some of the most profound themes of human development. The book truly is a must read for all with interests in development or culture." -- Susan A. Gelman,
Frederick G. L. Huetwell Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan, PsycCRITIQUES
"The Pauls' numerous previously unpublished photos combine with Rogoff's to provide a rare glimpse into the changes in people's lives and environment over the course of seven decades. The dozens of images, together with their informative captions, are superbly integrated into the text...Recommended" -- A. H. Koblitz, Arizona State University, CHOICE
Developing Destinies was a finalist for the Jackie Kirk Outstanding Book Award:
"Rogoff's Developing Destinies is a lovely and fascinating anthropological look at culture and the impact of one woman, and her community role as a midwife, on her community. Rogoff addresses gender, child development, religion/spirituality, and informal community-based learning processes. Of the books nominated for the award, Rogoff's book has the strongest focus in terms of women's work, and reflects the most participatory approach to research. Her book is innovative, and includes a very
interesting use of the visual, both photos and drawings... The way in which Rogoff addresses issues of gender and generations is edgy, and it is sure to be a welcome addition to many fields, in education
and beyond."
"Rogoff shows how the certainty of destiny moves through exigencies of profession, identity, and time. Fitting for the topic of midwifery and birth, Developing Destinies is her most personal work to date. Rogoff and the book's main subject, Chona, a Maya midwife from the Tzu'utijil Maya town of San Pedro, have been in relationship across five decades (1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s). This book is a must-read for those interested in culture, child
development, globalization, and birth. birth." -- Ashley E. Maynard, Professor and Chair, Department of Psychology, University of Hawai`i
