The "modern subject" at the crossroads of "modernity" and "modernization": past and present uses

Abstract

During the last century, especially in the middle of it, Mexico experienced a process of great social, economic and cultural transformation. To describe this general situation, both in the sources and from the appreciations from the present, the terms "modernization" and "modernity" are used almost indistinctly, and even refer to the individual of that time as "modern subject". However, each term has its specificity rarely considered. This essay reflects on the uses given to such terms (modernity, modernism and modern subject) focusing especially on the mid-twentieth century. For this purpose, specialized bibliography that works or borders on the subject is appealed to, considering the theoretical aspects linked to such concepts, but also the uses given in the specified context. It does not seek to establish absolutes, but only general reflections on the importance of avoiding generalizations and contextualizing the guiding words of any investigation.