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Title: The Bear and His Sons : Masculinity in Spanish and Mexican Folktales by James M. Taggart ISBN: 0-292-78145-8 Publisher: Univ of Texas Press Pub. Date: 1997 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $17.95

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Average Customer Rating: 2 (1 review)

Rating: 2
Summary: anthropology and men's studies juxtaposed
Comment: In this text, an anthropologist compares the folktale style of a Spaniard and an indigenous Mexican to detail how culture, gender, language, and family background affect storytelling characteristics. The tales and discussion revolve around major men's studies themes such as how men make money, how men deal with female partners, and how they deal with other men.

At the start of this book, I was so intrigued and interested. But I eventually lost my enthusiasm. His point is obvious: of course, numerous factors in a man's background would influence how he tells a story. In spelling out which factors influence what, Taggart compares the two principle men to other storytellers he encountered and it becomes incredibly tiresome and repetitive after awhile.

Too often, U.S. Americans forget that our country is not the only one that has indigenous peoples. I appreciated learning more about Mexico's counterparts. Given that languages are becoming extinct and folk culture is dying against the strength of globalism, it is great to see these tales being preserved and academically analyzed. Taggart contrasts Spanish-speaking Mexicans with Spaniards and the Natives, thus demonstrating complexity and pushing aside dichotomous thinking. As the Latino population in the US grows, it will be important for all Americans to learn more about how Spanish and Native styles have intersected in this hemisphere. This is about the third book that I've read recently where a First World scholar did not have access to Native women as interviewee subjects; this is men's studies by default. I hope readers can get a chance to hear Native women's voices some way.

Almost every tale in this book was European-derived. That's logical given the comparative work that Taggart attempts. Still, the indigenous Mexicans were not culture-deprived do-nothings before colonialism. I would love to have heard more about their homegrown stories. Further, it would have helped if the author made more parallels to US culture. He mentions that one tale, "Blancaflor"/"White Flower," has Jason-and-Medea- like elements. However, in the title tale, "The Bear and His Sons," the tale has elements resembling Paul Bunyun and Babe the Blue Ox, yet the author never mentions this. It would have helped U.S. readers understand better.

This book does a much better job of introducing anthropologists to men's studies than the other way around. Taggart tries to juggle multiple disciplinary balls, including some Freudian ideas in the introduction. I did not find that effort necessary. This book is for those who liked and understood that Levi-Strauss article that college professors love assigning more than for other readers.