This research explores the history of land reform and communal property in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. The study is built upon a representative sample of 50 communities traced over nearly a century of struggle for land. It seeks to describe key patterns in the legal regimes governing access to land and link these to outcomes measuring community size, agricultural activity, land use, and changing community dynamics over the long run. More broadly, the research contributes to understanding common and community property, land use, and the effects of land reform in Mexico.

Zephyr Frank teaches history and environmental studies at Stanford University. His research ranges from Brazilian social and cultural history to the study of land use and the institutions of urban and rural planning.

Livestream here: tinyurl.com/zflecture