The Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights of Artists in a Context of Violence and Poverty. A Case Study in Acapulco, Mexico

Abstract

Poverty and victimization caused by crime and violence are considered violations of economic, social and cultural rights, and human dignity. The most excluded populations are often recurrent victims of these rights violations. Artists are one of these populations, as they are usually in a situation of structural socio-economic vulnerability.

Taking as a case study the city of Acapulco, Mexico, one of the most violent and impoverished areas in the country, we try to answer, how is art practiced in Acapulco, a city with a high rate of the population living in poverty and in a high level of violence? What implications have this in artistic practice? Besides, how do those dedicated to art in Acapulco practice their rights? For this, an instrumental qualitative case study was designed focused on the experiences of the artists. Through a thematic analysis, we identify that in Acapulco, artists practice their economic, social and cultural rights mainly through the market, and in cases of more constant exercise, this is associated with a formal employment contract, rather than from the public offer guaranteed by the state.