This comprehensive look at contemporary life in the small Latin American nation allows high school students and general readers to explore the many facets of Honduran life and culture. More and more Hondurans and scholars today are becoming aware of the diversity in the nation, and are realizing that rather than a single, homogeneous culture, Honduras is made up of many different cultures. Gold incorporates this contemporary cultural consciousness in her treatment of Honduras's regional and linguistic diversity as well as in her descriptions of Honduras's indigenous communities. Key elements of the work include a look at national identity and cultural diversity, as well as an in-depth study of indigenous Honduras. Other chapters examine religion, as well as daily routines, cuisine, dress, media, sports, festivals, literature and oral storytelling, traditional crafts, visual arts, and music and dance. Ideal for high school students studying world culture, Latin American studies, and anthropology, as well as for general readers interested in the subject, Culture and Customs of Honduras is an essential addition for library shelves.

At the time of the Spanish conquest, Honduras was inhabited by two distinct social systems, which defined the boundary between the cultures of Mesoamerica and South America. Each system was administered in a different way, and subsequently the survival of each civilization varied markedly. This study examines the nature of each culture at the time of Spanish conquest, the size of the populations, and the method of colonization applied to each. Particular attention is focused on Spanish economic activities and the institutions that directly affected the Indian way of life. Dr. Newson bases her findings on extensive archival research conducted in Spain, Guatemala, and Honduras and on archaeological, ethnographic, and linguistic evidence found in secondary sources.