Call for Papers en Español

CALL FOR PAPERS (en Español)

EL INVIERNO DE DESCONTENTO CHILENO: ¿EL FIN DE UN PARADIGMA EN AMERICA LATINA?

11 de MAYO 2012, UNIVERSIDAD DE CAMBRIDGE, de 9.30 a 18.30

Durante las dos últimas décadas, el paradigma económico neoliberal chileno ha sido considerado un modelo latinoamericano de estabilidad política y desarrollo socioeconómico. A pesar de los importantes avances económicos y políticos, en los últimos años, sin embargo, la ciudadanía ha empezado a manifestar de modo creciente señales de malestar.

Desde inicios del 2011, el descontento se ha hecho visible a través de una serie de movilizaciones políticas y sociales en oposición a diferentes posturas del gobierno sobre diferentes temas que afectan a la educación, el medioambiente, las libertades civiles y derechos sexuales, temas de género, minorías étnicas, y participación política. La ciudadanía se ha tomado las calles en grandes números, convirtiendo la movilización social una nueva forma de expresión política. Esto se ve manifestado de modo más particular en las incesantes protestas organizadas por los estudiantes a lo largo de los más de seis meses, y a los que la prensa popular apodó como “invierno del descontento”, estableciendo una nueva crítica social al modelo neoliberal.

¿En qué modo explicamos la manifestación masiva de descontento? ¿Cuáles eran las condiciones que impidieron que fuerzas similares se manifestaran durante las dos últimas décadas? ¿Y por qué se manifiestan ahora?  ¿Cuál es y será el impacto de estos nuevos movimientos sociales en la política chilena? ¿Cómo se canalizarán estas demandas? ¿Cómo se vinculan estos elementos domésticos a la agenda internacional en debate a lo largo del 2011? 

Esta conferencia de un día invita a académicos y estudiantes de postgrado a discutir los temas que emanan de los recientes eventos que conforman el “invierno del descontento” chileno.

Se ruega hacer llegar por email resúmenes de no más de 300 palabras al comité organizador  a chilesdiscontentconference@gmail.com junto con un breve CV o biografía antes del 1 de marzo, 2012. Preguntas y dudas sobre la conferencia deben ser enviadas a la misma dirección email. Aquellos posibles contribuidores seleccionados serán notificados el 15 de marzo 2012.

Se ruega hacer  llegar los artículos seleccionados para la conferencia no más tarde del 20 de abril, 2012. El documento debe tener no más de 8000 palabras incluyendo notas y bibliografía.  

Tras la conferencia, esperamos poder hacer una compilación de los mejores papers presentados con el fin de publicarlos sea bajo forma de libro o edición especial de un periódico del área más relevante.

Para más información sobre la conferencia por favor visitar nuestro blog:  http://chileswinterofdiscontentconference.blogspot.com/

Estos son algunos de los temas posibles o sugeridos, sin ser ésta una lista restringida:

×          Movimientos sociales y nuevos actores    

×          Educación

×          Representación política

×          Políticas de género y sexualidad

×          Inequidades sociales         

×          Minoría étnicas y reconocimiento legal

×          Temas y políticas de salud

×          Sistema electoral y partidos políticos

×          Cobertura de los medios de comunicación           

×          Mercados laborales

×          Relaciones internacionales de Chile

Presentadores: Profesora Maxine Molyneux, Directora del Institute for the Study of the Americas, University of London. TBC.

Organizadores

Andrés Villar, International Studies, University of Cambridge

Carmen Sepúlveda, Institute for the Study of the Americas, University of London

Tomás Undurraga, Sociology, University of Cambridge

Sexual Diversity and Sexual Rights: When Chile Marched for Equality

One of the most conflictive issues on the agenda for the government in 2011, was related to its promises to allow homosexual citizens to marry, establishing in this way a real equality in front of the law. But due to internal tensions with the most conservative factions within the governing coalition, especially with the extreme right party UDI closer to conservative Catholic circles, the government started to backtrack from its promises.

MOVILH, the widest organisation defending LGBT rights for the past twenty years in Chile, launched a campaign called "El amor es amor" (Love is love) http://www.movilh.cl/elamoresamor/ rallying people from across the political spectrum, as well celebrities and regular citizens to bring attention the the issue of equality, and remind the the gorvernment of the promises it had made during its electoral campaign.

As a way to gather wider support a "March for Equality" was organised, and received wide coverage in the news. The support by celebrities and politicians proving to be an effective way to campaign.  MOVILH also showed how the issue was a cross-cutting concern across ideological lines.

Here are two videos regarding the campaign and the march.

And some images from the march:

Superheroes dance for the right to education

Here is another example of the creative ways in which students made their opinions heard in public spaces over 2011. Enjoy.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/chile/8647035/Chile-superheroes-dance-for-education-reform.html

2011 a year to remember for citizenship and youth

2011 o la vertiginosa fusión del tiempo

http://www.elquintopoder.cl/fdd/web/ciudadania/opinion/-/blogs/-o-la-vertiginosa-fusion-del-tiempo

This is an article published yesterday by elquintopoder.cl - it reflects on the symbolic value of the 2011 social  and political mobilisations in Chile. The author reminds us that despite being now in 2012, the importance of 2011 will shape the historic evolution of Chile, in particular for its youth, the force behind the protests.
" A year of furious and insolent male and femal citizens, toppling the cathedrals of prudence, the sophism of governance and "the policing of thinking"..."

When pictures speak by themselves...

Because sometimes images speak by themselves...this is a collection of pictures from the media on the internet covering the most important protests that have taken place in Chile in the last year. From education, to indigenous rights, the  environment and minorities' rights these are all issues that have become part of the new political agenda and raise many questions concerning Chile's societal and political development.

Chile's right to education: a thriller?

Many have heard of the students' protests in  Chile last year. This was a long and draining process for the students' movement who asked for an education of better quality and free. Despite the long months of mobilisation, students found new and original ways to demonstrate their anger and frustration to the government. One of them was the flash mob in front of the presidential palace denouncing the 'thriller' behind the right to education...watch this video...

Call for Papers

Dear all here is the call for papers for the conference. Please feel free to circulate the information and contact us if you have any question.  

CALL FOR PAPERS 

CHILE’S WINTER OF DISCONTENT: THE BREAKDOWN OF A PARADIGM IN LATIN AMERICA?

11^TH MAY 2012. UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, 9.30 -18.30 

During the last two decades, Chile’s neoliberal economic paradigm has often been considered a Latin American model of political stability and socioeconomic development. Despite Chile’s remarkable economic and political advances, the citizenry has nevertheless started to manifest growing signs of malaise within recent years.

Since early 2011, discontent has been made visible through a series of political and social mobilisations opposing the government’s stand on different issues affecting education, the environment, civil liberties and sexual rights, gender issues, ethnic minorities, and political participation. Chilean citizens have been taking to the streets in great numbers, making social mobilisation a new form of political expression. In particular, the relentless protests led by students for more than six months – dubbed ‘Chile’s winter of discontent’ in the popular press – have established a new social critique to the neoliberal model.

How do we explain this widespread manifestation of discontent? What were the conditions that prevented similar forces from arising in the past two decades? And why have they arisen now? What is and will be the impact of these new social movements in Chilean politics? How will these demands be channelled? How are these domestic events linked to the international agenda debated globally during 2011?

This one-day conference invites scholars and postgraduate students to discuss a new range of issues that have been recently unveiled surrounding the 2011 ‘Chilean winter of discontent’.

Abstracts of no more than 300 words should be submitted to chilesdiscontentconference@gmail.com with a short bio or c.v before March 1, 2012. Questions about the conference should be sent to the same email address. Potential contributors will be notified by March 15, 2012.

Please send your paper by no later than April 20, 2012. It should have a length of no more than 8000 words including footnotes and bibliography.

After the conference, we aspire to compile the best papers presented with the aim of publication in either a book or a special issue of a journal in a relevant studies’ area.

For more updates on the conference please visit:  http://chileswinterofdiscontentconference.blogspot.com/

Possible themes include but are not restricted to:

×          Social movements and new actors

×          Education

×          Political representation

×          Gender policies & sexuality

×          Social inequalities

×          Ethnic minorities & legal recognition

×          Health issues

×          Electoral system & political parties

×          Media coverage

×          Labour markets

×          Chilean International Relations 

Speakers include: Professor Maxine Molyneux, Director of the Institute for the Study of the Americas, University of London. TBC.

Convenors

Andrés Villar, International Relations, University of Cambridge

Carmen Sepúlveda, Institute for the Study of the Americas, University of London

Tomás Undurraga, Sociology, University of Cambridge