This dissertation examines the role of educational television and radio in shaping the political subjectivity of indigenous communities in Mexico during the mid-20th century, focusing on the actions of the Instituto Nacional Indigenista (INI) between 1958 and 1972. Departing from a critical historical perspective, the study interrogates how the Proyecto de Radiodifusoras Culturales Indigenistas functioned not only as a communication initiative but also as a mechanism for the state’s cultural and political mediation. The research unfolds in two main sections: the first contextualises the INI within broader post-revolutionary state policies aimed at integrating indigenous peoples through educational and cultural programmes, while the second delves into the operations of the indigenous radio project as both a technological apparatus and a political tool. Drawing on archival materials, official publications, and theoretical frameworks from Foucauldian analysis, the author explores how broadcasting was used to disseminate narratives of national unity and modernisation, often framing indigenous identities within a civilising discourse. A case study of the radio station XEZV “La Voz de la Sierra Tarahumara” illustrates the complex negotiation between state-led pedagogical aims and indigenous responses, revealing moments of resistance, reinterpretation, and strategic adaptation. The thesis concludes that these radio initiatives were not neutral but deeply embedded in state logics of governance and assimilation, simultaneously offering spaces for indigenous expression and for subtle political regulation. In sum, this work demonstrates how media technologies were mobilised to shape indigenous subjectivities, contributing to ongoing debates on cultural policy, media anthropology and the politics of identity in Latin America.
Vicente Moctezuma Mendoza (2017) Televisión educativa, pueblos indígenas y subjetivación política: El Instituto Nacional Indigenista y el Proyecto de Radiodifusoras Culturales Indigenistas (1958-1972). Tesis de Maestría. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
