Between the Individual, the Familiar, and the Public in Mexico: An Ethnography of the Mobilization to Search for the Disappeared

Abstract

The article presents an ethnographic study of collective action and mobilisation in the search for disappeared persons in Zacatecas, Mexico, between 2022 and 2025. Drawing on a dialogue with the existing literature, it argues that mobilisation for the search constitutes a form of dignifying agency embedded in ongoing tensions and negotiations across the individual, familial, and public spheres. The results are situated within a discussion with the specialised literature in Mexico, identifying three ways in which these tensions and negotiations manifest: acting out of necessity; containing emotions within the private sphere; and confronting and negotiating with the State.