scholarly journals Iguales problemas, idénticas soluciones. El Monte de Piedad de Buenos Aires y su respuesta a la usura (1877-1904)

Author(s):  
Graciela Mateo Pietro

“Al rico nunca le ofrezcan / y al pobre jamás le falten”. Estos versos del Martín Fierro -obra maestra de la narrativa gauchesca argentina- remiten al Monte de Piedad de Buenos Aires: por un lado, esencializan la función social como institución proveedora de crédito a los sectores desamparados de la sociedad, y por otro permiten identificar a su autor, José Hernández, como miembro del Consejo de Administración de la entidad y tenaz defensor de su continuidad.El presente artículo estudia, a partir de los antecedentes del crédito pignoraticio y del rol desempeñado por los montepíos nativos a mediados del siglo XIX, el origen y la trayectoria del Monte de Piedad de Buenos Aires, destinado a aliviar las penurias de los sectores vulnerados, tanto nativos como inmigrantes, evitando que sean víctimas de la usura. En tal sentido y desde una perspectiva macro que dé cuenta de la situación económico- financiera del país y particularmente de la provincia de Buenos Aires, se privilegia el análisis micro de las distintas etapas de la historia de este entidad y de su función social; desde su fundación en 1877 dependiente del Banco de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, su incorporación una década después al patrimonio municipal y su conversión en 1904 en Banco Municipal de Préstamos. El punto de partida es un estado de la cuestión sobre el tema. Las fuentes primarias (Libros de Actas, Memorias y balances, Cartas orgánicas, Reglamentos de la institución, Diario de Sesiones de la Legislatura bonaerense y del Consejo Deliberante de la ciudad de Buenos Aires) así como algunas publicaciones periódicas de la época, resultan sustantivas para lograr el objetivo propuesto. “Never offer to the rich /and may the poor never lack” These verses by Martín Fierro -a masterpiece of Argentine gaucho narrative- represent the Monte de Piedad in Buenos Aires and its development. In a way, they essentialize the social function of this institution that provides credit to the underprivileged sectors of society. Besides, this affirmation allows to identify its author, José Hernández, as a member of the entity’s Board of Directors and a tenacious defender of its continuity.This article is based on the antecedents of the pledge credit and the role played by the native montepíos in the mid-19th century. Its focused in the study of the origin and trajectory of Monte de Piedad in Buenos Aires, as an institution which alleviated the hardships of the vulnerable sectors, both natives and immigrants, and prevented them from being victims of usury. Both macro and micro perspectives converge in this analysis. Firstly, the argentine economic and financial situation is taken into account to get to Buenos Aires’ province evaluation. Secondly, the history of this entity’s social function is examined since it was founded in 1877 (under the Bank of the Province of Buenos Aires), to its incorporation a decade later into the municipal patrimony and its conversion into the Municipal Bank of Loans, in 1904.The article starts with a bibliographic review of this particular subject. The proposed objective is achieved by analyzing diverse primary sources (Minutes Books, Memories and balances, Organic Letters, Institution Regulations, Journal of Sessions of the Buenos Aires Legislature and the Deliberative Council of the city of Buenos Aires) as well as the main periodical publications of the time.

Author(s):  
DIANE E. DAVIS

What constitutes modern Mexico? Is there a clear distinction between the historic and modern Mexico City? And if there are, does this distinctions hold up throughout the twentieth century, when what is apparent is a mix of legacies coexisting overtime? This chapter discusses the semiotics of history and modernity. It discusses the struggle of the Mexico City to find its own image including its struggle to preserve historic buildings amidst the differing political alliances that either promote change or preserve the past. However, past is not a single entity, hence if the preservation of the rich history of Mexico is pursued, the question arises as to what periods of history represented in the city are to be favoured in its future development. In this chapter, the focus is on the paradoxes of the Torre Bicentenario and on the pressures to preserve Mexico’s past, the ways they have been juxtaposed against the plans for its future and how the balance of these views has shifted over time. It determines the key actors and the institutions who have embraced history as opposed to progress, identifies the set of forces that dominated in the city’s twentieth-century history, and assesses the long-term implications of the shifting balance for the social, spatial and built environmental character of the city. The chapter ends with a discussion on the current role played by the cultural and historical authorities in determining the fate of the city.


2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 613-637
Author(s):  
CYNTHIA LEE PATTERSON

Recirculating the assertion of magazine historian Frank Luther Mott, subsequent generations of scholars maintained that Godey's Lady's Magazine eschewed content treating the social, political, and economic issues of the day. This article challenges that nearly universal reading of Godey's by arguing for the importance of a close reading of the “match plates” commissioned by Godey for his magazine. Appearing between 1840 and 1860, these plates, many engraved from pendant paintings created expressly for Godey, draw on the popularity of stage melodrama, dramatic tableau, and tableaux vivants to enact a performative morality addressing major social, economic, and political issues. Early match plates contrast virtue and vice, capitalizing on the enormous popularity of William Hogarth's engraving series Industry and Idleness. Match plates appear also in the popular fashion plates of the magazine – echoing the city mystery novels, plays, and prints first popularized by Eugene Sue – in Christmas for the Rich/Christmas for the Poor and Dress the Maker/Dress the Wearer. By 1860, even the magazine's “useful” contents, such as the pattern work prized by Godey's readers, echo the popularity of match plates: hence Fruit for Working/Flowers for Working. Closer attention to Godey's engravings calls for a reassessment of Mott's assertion.


Author(s):  
María Dolores Lorenzo Río

En este artículo exploramos las “buenas intenciones” de un grupo de filántropos, empresarios liberales, seculares y reformistas que, con el argumento de impulsar la modernización urbana, propusieron desplazar a los limosneros de las calles centrales de la Ciudad de México para contenerlos en el Asilo Particular para Mendigos, fundado en 1879 y ubicado en la periferia urbana. Si bien las obras de la filantropía suelen estudiarse como formas de financiamiento del arte y la cultura o bien como respuesta para la educación y la higiene de los pobres, en este artículo nos centramos en el interés de los filántropos por fomentar el comercio y el ordenamiento urbano, a través de un proyecto asistencial. Asimismo, proponemos una definición acotada de la filantropía secular y sus características que pueden estudiarse a partir del caso específico del Asilo Particular de Mendigos y de las prácticas filantrópicas que le dieron sentido al interés público a finales del siglo XIX. Para sustentar este trabajo consultamos los informes de la Junta de Beneficencia Pública y los informes de las Actas del Consejo del Asilo, prensa periódica y otras fuentes, destacamos de éstas un documento peculiar sobre un estudio de las rutas que los mendigos recorrieron por la ciudad y que le dieron el sustento razonado a esta forma de filantropía en la Ciudad de México. Modern philanthropy used public interest as an argument for intervention in “social question”. The critical point of this text argue how "disinterested" were the "good intentions" of a group of philanthropists, liberals, secularists and reformists who, under the argument of urban modernization, sought to displace beggars from the streets to contain them in the Asilo Particular para Mendigos, founded in Mexico City in 1879. We show the social composition of the founding group and the many meanings on their social actions. We explore a peculiar research elaborated on the routes the beggars traveled through the city, that gave the reasoned support to the foundation. Using the “well-intentioned” argument of helping the poor, philanthropists exerted their influence on urban planning provisions, in addition to mitigating social tensions.


2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 151-160
Author(s):  
Soledad Balerdi

This paper reflects on the precautions to be taken into account when addressing the study, from the point of view of the social sciences, of cultures and communities. This is done through ethnographic research in a neighbourhood (barrio) of migrants from an indigenous community in the province of Chaco, in northern Argentina, who have migrated to the city of La Plata (in Buenos Aires province) and have settled on its periphery. The article starts from the idea that ethnicity comes into play, situationally, as a resource rather than as a distinct and immutable feature. Even when it is necessary to describe how notions like culture and ethnicity act in practice and what meaning they have for the actors, social researchers should not  historicize them in the specific contexts in which they are brought into play.Keywords: culture, ethnicity, indigenous community, ethnography, ArgentinaRésumé: Cet article met en évidence les précautions et les enjeux à prendre en considération en sciences sociales lorsque l’on aborde les questions culturelles dans les communautés. Cet article met en évidence un travail de terrain de type ethnographique dans un quartier (barrio) de La Plata (province de Buenor Aires) où se trouve une forte concentration de population migrante d’autochtones en provenance de la province de Chaco, dans le nord de l’Argentine. Plutôt que d’approcher l’ethnicité dans une perspective essentialiste et d’en faire une caractéristique immuable de l’identité, cet article s’inspire d’une approche relationnelle. Plutôt que de tenter de figer le sens de notions telles « ethnicité » ou «culture », cet article met en evidence l’importance de reconstruire le sens de ces notions à partir des données contextuelles et du sens qu’elles revêtent pour les acteurs.Mots clé: culture, ethnicité, communauté indigene, ethnographie, Argentine


Radiocarbon ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto L Cione ◽  
Aníbal J Figini ◽  
Eduardo P Tonni

A date of 4300 ± 90 BP for extinct megafauna in Argentina is discussed. The fossil remains come from the Guerrero Member (area) of the Luján Formation near the city of Luján, Buenos Aires Province. The age of the top of the Guerrero Member is constrained by more than 60 radiocarbon dates obtained from the overlying Río Salado Member of Luján Formation, Las Escobas Formation, and Puesto Callejón Viejo Soil, most of them older than 4300 BP. In view of its low collagen content, the 14C measurement of bone sample from Luján should not be accepted uncritically. Because of the poor bone preservation and the possible introduction of “young” contaminants that were not completely eliminated, the 14C date of 4300 ± 90 BP is not reliable. Both biostratigraphic and 14C dating evidence indicates that the date of 4300 BP for the last representative of extinct megafauna in South America is unsupported.


Author(s):  
Frances R. Aparicio

This chapter examines the stories of the first-generation, immigrant parents of the Intralatino/as interviewed for the book. I analyze their personal stories of migration from their home countries, the romantic encounters with their partners as National Others, and the emerging conflicts and resistance on the part of their relatives and family members that they faced as they decided to start a family with a partner who was not of their own national community. That Chicago was the site for these inter-latino encounters speaks to the rich history of immigrant arrivals to the city. Historicizing the social meanings and tensions produced by interlatino/a desire and romance in Chicago, I highlight the courage and resilience of these interlatino couples given the challenges most of them faced for marrying outside their national community.


Author(s):  
Ivo Van der Graaff

On 24 August 79 CE the eruption of Mount Vesuvius destroyed the southern Bay of Naples, burying the towns of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabia together with the farms, sanctuaries, and luxury villas of the countryside. Their systematic excavation began in 1748. A community of scholars and lay people have since investigated the cities and their architecture for over 270 years. Their ranks are varied, starting with art and architectural historians, classicists, classical archaeologists, humanists, and amateurs, and continuing with scientists specialized in disciplines as varied as chemistry, biology, and forensics to name a few. The study of Pompeii and the ancient cities on the Bay of Naples is almost its own discipline that has helped to germinate art history and archaeology and spark movements such as Neoclassicism. The result is a burgeoning bibliography that exceeds 20,000 entries, with dozens of books and articles appearing each year. Given the rich architectural remains of the city, many, if not most, of these publications relate to architecture. Yet much remains unknown and considerable research on the architecture of Pompeii awaits current and future scholars. This article constitutes a basic starting point to study the architecture of Pompeii. It focuses on primary sources and monographs, and extends beyond single architectural studies because the study of Pompeian architecture requires attention to external factors governing social behavior. Domestic rituals, religious practices, technological advances, social routines, social hierarchy as well as military, entertainment, economic, environmental, and political factors all came together to shape the city. Modern research in Pompeii began with art historical and epigraphic approaches producing catalogues and publications describing wall painting, inscriptions, statuary, and the objects of the decorative arts. Expansive topographical surveys describing the city’s architecture started to appear in the 19th century and gave rise to a fascination with Pompeii throughout Europe. The expansion of the excavations in this period prompted then superintendent Giuseppe Fiorelli to organize the city into regions, insulae (city blocks), and house numbers, giving buildings the addresses they have today (e.g. VI.12.2-7 for the House of the Faun). Excavations seeking to understand the long-term history of Pompeii began in the 20th century, first, under efforts by Superintendent Amedeo Maiuri and, later, by various international teams and individual scholars, leading to the comprehensive approaches that study the city today. These efforts have produced a consensus that divides the 700+ years of Pompeian history into three mains phases: Pre-Samnite (under Etruscan, Greek, and Punic influence), Samnite, and finally Roman Pompeii, which subdivides further into the Colonial, Imperial, and Post-earthquake (after 62 CE) periods. Each phase is rich and stimulating in its own right, but the Roman period is the one that produced much of the architecture visible today; consequently, it has received the most attention due to the state of preservation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-160
Author(s):  
Ronald Torrance

There are few resources amongst contemporary Chinese literary criticism that manage to weave such insightful literary readings and incisive historical research as Kristin Stapleton’s Fact in Fiction: 1920s China and Ba Jin’s Family. The book accomplishes three feats, as set out by Stapleton in her introductory chapter, simultaneously incorporating a history of twentieth-century Chengdu (and its relevance to the developments in China during this period, more broadly) alongside the author’s biography of Ba Jin’s formative years in the city and the historiographical context of his novel Family. Such an undertaking by a less skilled author would have, perhaps, produced a work which simplifies the rich historical underpinnings of Ba Jin’s Family to supplementary readings of the novel, coupled with incidental evidence of the political and social machinations of the city in which its author grew up. Not so under Stapleton’s careful guidance. By reading the social and economic development of early twentieth-century Chengdu as much as its fictional counterpart in Ba Jin’s Turbulent Stream trilogy, Stapleton provides a perceptive reading of Family which invites the reader to consider how fiction can enrich and enliven our understanding of history.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 305-323
Author(s):  
Rafał Kubicki

Source input to the history of St. Elisabeth hospital in The Old City of Gdańsk in the years 1429–1454 The subject of this edition are sources regarding the hospital of St. Elisabeth in the Old City of Gdańsk in the years 1429–1454 deposited in archives in Gdańsk and Berlin. They present various aspects of the institution’s operations in the first half of the 15th century. Alongside issues pertaining to the confirmation of its land estate border (no. 1), individual bestowals on its behalf conducted by assorted donors (no. 2, 5, 7, 8, 12) and the management of the hospital’s inventory (no. 4), it also contains documents confirming agreements of lifetime residencies in the hospital (no. 9, 10, 11). We also have here accounts created in reference to the foundation of vicarage in the hospital chapel (no. 3) and the matters of personnel working in the service of the hospital (no. 6). All of them show the complexity of issues the persons connected with the institution handled, most of all in the case of the hospitaler, and alongside him the commander of Gdańsk, who somewhat held a supervising function on behalf of the Teutonic Order. They also confirm the important role of women in terms of nurturing care provided by the hospital, including primarily the head of the female personnel, here referred to as the mother or the mother of the poor. On the other hand, they are also a testimony to the social significance of the institution in the city, presenting the circle of people closely connected to her at the time.


Author(s):  
James E Shaw

The rulers of Venice prided themselves on their unique brand of justice, which was a source of both ridicule and admiration for foreign commentators. This book uncovers what this special justice meant for ordinary subjects by studying the history of one of the oldest magistracies of the city, a body responsible for handling petty market crime and small-claims litigation. It examines how changing ideas about justice at the level of the political elite were related to judicial and policing practices in the courtroom and on the street. The book shows how failure to invest in the state bureaucracy allowed corruption to flourish and effectively delegated power to private interest groups such as the guilds. At the same time, it reveals that the bottom level of civil justice was fast, cheap, and accessible. Everyone had the chance to be heard, and the poor and disadvantaged could hope for justice along with the rich and powerful.


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