The Maquiladora Murders: Gendered Violence and Narrative Conflict

Defense Date

3-28-2008

Graduation Date

Spring 1-1-2008

Availability

Campus Only

Submission Type

thesis

Degree Name

MA

Department

Graduate Center for Social and Public Policy

School

McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts

Committee Chair

Norman Conti

Committee Member

Charles F. Hanna

Committee Member

Lawrence Nichols

Keywords

landmark narratives, maquiladora murders, NAFTA, social problems, violence against women

Abstract

This study analyzes the social construction of a wave of female homicides in the area surrounding the maquiladora plants in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Generally, I determine how these murders are constructed as a significant social problem, but not as a landmark narrative for violence against women. Specifically, I address how the murders are used as atrocity tales against the North American Free Trade Agreement in order to exemplify the unforeseen violence produced by the policy. My research begins with a basic content analysis of 35 narratives from newspapers, human rights reports, and academic journals. After determining that 16 narratives claim NAFTA as a cause of the murders in Juarez, I further analyze those claims and discover that gender issues are intertwined with the trade agreement. Through analysis, I conclude that the policy of NAFTA has aided in the disruption of the social fabric of Mexican society.

Format

PDF

Language

English

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