Herencias e Interacciones Socioculturales en Mesoamérica y OccidenteThe existence of communities and peoples develops over time, in a diachronic line of heritage and cultural memory as well as in a synchronous coexistence with the cosmos, marked by cyclically returning rituals. Under the pressure of "clock time" ("time is money") these organic "other times" of identity are eroding rapidly. In these respects, modernity has come to be characterized by a deep, dramatic and often violent conflict between traditional values of societies that have their own cultures and the processes of colonization, urbanization and industrialization, which are usually presented as "progress". This volume brings together complementary reflections of archaeologists, historians, anthropologists, sociologists and social activists on this issue. Central to their work is the perception and representation of time, its different symbolic aspects and its social impact. Espousing a comparatist methodology, the case studies focus on Mexico and Guatemala and on southern Italy. Prof. Dr. Maarten Jansen teaches on the heritage of indigenous peoples at Leiden University, specialising in the art, religion and history of Mesoamerican cultures.Dr. Valentina Raffa is researcher/teacher of sociology at the University of Messina, focusing on social exclusion, postcolonial approaches to development and sociology of health.