The Mexican aristocracy and Porfirio Díaz, 1876-1911

Abstract

A collaborative relationship developed between the aristocracy and the regime of Porfirio D¿az (1876¿1911). D¿az focused on the shared interests of the conservative and liberal elements in society, chiefly, the economic development of the country and the safeguarding of social peace to guarantee continued expansion and increased foreign investment. D¿az recognized the benefits his regime could derive from the cultural capital and social networks of the viceregal nobility and rising plutocracy. The aristocracy played a prominent role in the country's diplomatic corps and assisted don Porfirio to put on a fa¿ade of prosperity, elegance, and modernity to lure investors. D¿az discovered that borrowing the elite's cultural norms had some drawbacks, as dandies and women refashioned aristocratic notions of gender. Women employed philanthropy to critique the regime's foreign policy goals. Dandies pursued hedonist lifestyles that questioned models of masculinity. The elite's crisis of masculinity coincided with a crisis of representation in the ruler's image stemming from D¿az's advanced age. Both D¿az and the aristocracy resorted to strenuous physical activities to combat these threats. Despite these problems, this revisionist analysis reveals the remarkable influence of the aristocracy on the Porfirian regime.