Perceptions of the Impact of Covid-19 in Tepoztlan, Mexico: A Focused Ethnographic Study

ABSTRACT

This article analyzes the transformation of Tepoztlan, a rural community in Mexico, as the Covid-19 pandemic changed people ' s perceptions about their lives and future prospects, and deepened their connections to global networks. A focused ethnographic study revealed how women led the movement to close the town to outside visitors and, through negotiations and community decisions, how the town eventually opened up again, highlighting the impact on employment. Data from a statistical survey undertaken during the first peak of Covid-19 infections in 2020 showed the reactions of young women and women heads of households to the impact of the pandemic that, in their own words, "takes away our freedom of action", while men of all age groups were deeply worried about economic futures. Unexpectedly, the re-opening of the town brought an influx of post-pandemic tourism that was seized by aggressive and illicit powerful groups as an opportunity to take over the town. Managing the risk of inadvertently providing information that may be used by such groups poses a dilemma for present-day anthropologists.