Alberto Peralta

Narrowed Research Focus: Chile’s Protests

How successful are mass-mobilized protests in changing public policy in Chile?

I am going to focus on Chile’s modern mass mobilization movements. For example in 2006 and 2011, Chile experienced some of the largest social movements to address the growing economic inequality. These protests included the takeover of public schools, mass gathering of students and workers, and other forms of civil disobedience. The focus of my research will be based on how effective these mass-mobilization tactics at promoting any institutional changes in Chile for students and workers.

For my primary sources I am going to use: Nacional Records. Shock. YouTube.Com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=177-s44MSVQ. October 4, 2011. 3:04.

For my secondary sources I intend to use:
Gómez-Barris, Macarena. “Sounds Radical: Ana Tijoux, Student Protests, and Palestinian Solidarity.” In Beyond the Pink Tide: Art and Political Undercurrents in the Americas, 22-45. Oakland, California: University of California Press, 2018. Accessed February 17, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvq4bz72.6.

Su, Yen-Pin. “Anti-Government Protests in Democracies: A Test of Institutional Explanations.” Comparative Politics 47, no. 2 (2015): 149-67. Accessed February 17, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/43664137.

Pérez-Arredondo, Carolina. “Why Do They Protest?: The Discursive Construction of ‘Motive’ in Relation to the Chilean Student Movement in the National Alternative Press (2011–13).” In Discourses of Disorder: Riots, Strikes and Protests in the Media, edited by Hart Christopher and Kelsey Darren, 57-74. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2019. Accessed February 17, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctv7n0b0b.7.

“Chilean Women and Human Rights.” In Voices of Resistance: Testimonies of Cuban and Chilean Women, edited by Maloof Judy, 117-34. University Press of Kentucky, 1999. Accessed February 17, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt130hvk0.14.

Blog Post: Potential Research Ideas – Mass Mobilizations in Chile

For my research project, I am going to be focusing on the mass-mobilization of university students in Chile and its effect on public policy. Chile’s university students have historically been at the forefront of Chile’s mass-mobilization to protests. I am interested in exploring the influence and power exerted these protests. How successful are they? What major legislation or policy have been altered as a result of these protests? Are these protests effective in the long run or not?

Essentially, I am asking, How successful are mass-mobilized protests in changing public policy in Chile?

I am asking about this because I am in love with Chile, and I am fascinated by the ongoing public dilemma in Chile.

Class Notes for January 27, 2020

Class Notes 1/27/2020

At the beginning of the class, Alberto shared his Latin America in the News story. He discussed inequality in Latin America, specifically in Chile. Alberto’s Latin America in the News focused on themes such as historical inequality, consequences of Neo-liberalism in Chile, and the privatization of major industries in Chile. His article explores the tensions in Chile and the roots of inequality during the dictatorship of the 80s. This story ties back to Chasteen’s argument of severe inequality in Latin America.

With regards to the class topics, we mostly focused on Caudillismo in Latin America. We discussed figures such as Juan Manuel De Rosas. We read an excerpt from Domingo Faustino Sarmiento in Facundo: Civilization and Barbarism (1845). This excerpt reveals anti De Rosas sentiments from people who disliked the centralized authority and economic responsibilities on a caudillo such as De Rosas.

What are caudillos? How do we characterize them?

Local ruler with a local base
“Popular appeal united with support from elites through grants of economic privilege.
Mediator between elites and the people
Gendered performance of masculinity
Rule through intimidation and patronage
Chance for order after decade of chaos and war

We also discussed pieces from the book Problems that focuses on how historians view Caudillos. We looked at Wolf and Hansen, Woodward JR, De la Fuente, Scourge.

Due Dates: (Borrowed from Abby’s Class Notes)

1/29: Upload pdf to moodle with a draft of your first entry and ideas for 2 more (do not need to be done in order of the timeline)

1/31: Peer review the entries of 2 classmates before class

2/3: In Class workshop on how to upload entries to website.

Key Term:

“Historiography is the study of how history is written and how our historical understanding changes over time. Historiography considers the approaches used by historians and seeks to understand how and why their theories and interpretations differ.

As you read historians, think critically about the conclusions they reach and the arguments they present. Ask yourself how other historians might interpret the same set of facts – and ask yourself what conclusions or arguments you might reach.

When researching or studying, compare and contrast the writings of two or more historians on the same topic or issue. When writing about a historical topic, acknowledge that different historians hold different views about it.

Most importantly, ease yourself into historiography rather than diving in headfirst. Trying to take in too much information and too many different perspectives will only confuse you and muddy your thinking.”

This quote is from https://alphahistory.com/what-is-historiography/, and it is an a short description of what historiography is and how we should use it in this course and our general academia.

Additional Sources:

https://alphahistory.com/what-is-historiography/

Definition of Historiography

https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199766581/obo-9780199766581-0141.xml

Brief description of Caudillos history

https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3562&context=honors_theses

Historical account of characteristics fo Caudillo leaders.

Questions of the day?

1. Why are Caudillos connected to the people and the ruling elite?
2. How have perceptions of Caudillos changed in Latin American change over time?
3. Did all people agree with a Caudillo rule? Yes, No? Explain.

January 25, 2020 Latin America in the News

Latin American nations hold some of the highest income inequality indexes in the world. Chile, has the highest income inequality gap of Western Democracies. This article attempts to dissect the deeply rooted issues that have produced the massive mobilization protests at the end of 2019. The article cites an increase in bus fares as the cause for the massive protests. Protestors argue that the increase in subway fares was the final straw. Despite the economic stability at the macro-economic level, Chilean wages are simply not enough to cover the high cost of living.

A possible explanation for the rising discontent in the Andean country can be attributed to the economic model established during Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship. Chileans have been consistently sold the capitalist Neo-liberal model. This model emphasizes the production and exportation of raw materials. The continuous extraction of raw materials has damaged various regions of the country, leaving them as “sacrificial zones”, usually relocating indigenous or low income communities. While there is an increase of jobs, under this model, most jobs are temporary. This has all been allowed by the government that still adheres to the constitution established during the dictatorship, as one of the conditions for the transition to democracy. Neo-liberalism allows the rich to get richer, and the poor to remain poor.

**Protests in Chile 2019. [Sandra Cuffe/Al Jazeera]**

This article embodies some of the ideas presented in Chasteen’s book, Born in Blood and Fire. To some extent, a caste system looms over Latin America. While it is not legal or tangible, it remains implied within the social context. Born in Blood and Fire highlights the consequences of discontent in Latin America during the colonial and revolutionary periods, however, several centuries forward, economic issues continue to plague Latin American countries. During the colonial period in Latin America, the amount of wealth owned by individuals ultimately decided a certain lifestyle they could afford to live and it remains the same way today.

Scholars are now using Chile as a case study to focus on the longterm internal effects of Neo-liberalism. In Camila Jara’s, “Democratic Legitimacy under Strain? Declining Political Support and Mass Demonstrations in Chile” is an example of scholarly work that critiques this economic system “supported” by democracy. This article examines in depth how Chileans disapprove of the current economic and political systems despite the image of functioning democracy in the Andean country. In this study, over the decades since the transition to democracy, Chileans find their political institutions as unfavorable. Many studies are now covering the long term effects of Chilean Neo-liberalism.

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References:

Jara, Camila. “Democratic Legitimacy under Strain? Declining Political Support and Mass Demonstrations in Chile.” Revista Europea De Estudios Latinoamericanos Y Del Caribe / European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, no. 97 (2014): 25-50. Accessed January 25, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/23972438.

Cortés, A. (2020, January 23). The Chilean October: neoliberalism was born and will die in Chile? Retrieved January 25, 2020, from https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/democraciaabierta/el-octubre-chileno-el-neoliberalismo-nace-y-muere-en-chile-en/