Examine the impact of the Mexican revolution on the arts and education.

Candidates will need to consider the interrelationship between the Mexican Revolution and changes (or not) in arts and education. Links between the material used by the candidates and the ways in which it relates to the Mexican Revolution should be clearly established.

Indicative content

Education

• Education during the revolution aimed at promoting nationalist and socialist values as well as equal access to learning opportunities.
• Primary education became free and compulsory for all Mexicans offering similar education levels to all citizens regardless social conditions.
• Spanish was taught to indigenous populations so they could be better integrated into society.
• Literacy campaigns were organized in rural areas.
• Candidates may refer in more detail to reforms under Vasconcelos.

The Arts

• Artistic cultural nationalism was the promotion of more popular arts that reached the masses and depicted social and political issues.
• The Muralist movement (Rivera, Siqueiros, Orozco) and the role of the arts in the propaganda of the revolution could be considered. Murals were commissioned for public buildings and they depicted the aims of the Mexican Revolution as well as indigenous issues.
• There was greater prevalence of indigenous topics.
• Some artists supported the revolution in their work while others showed criticism of its caudillos.
• Some candidates may refer to music as an art form and this is acceptable.

The above material is an indication of what candidates may elect to write about in their responses. However, the list is not exhaustive and no set answer is required.

Examiners are reminded of the need to apply the markbands that provide the “best fit” to the responses given by candidates and to award credit wherever it is possible to do so.

[20 marks]