Latin American Societies

This series aims at presenting to the international community original contributions by scholars working on Latin America. Such contributions will address the challenges that Latin American societies currently face as well as the ways they deal with these challenges. The series will be methodologically agnostic, that is: it welcomes case studies, small-N comparative studies or studies covering the whole region, as well as studies using qualitative or quantitative data (or a mix of both), as long as they are empirically rigorous and based on high-quality research. Besides exploring Latin American challenges, the series attempts to provide concepts, findings and theories that may shed light on other regions. The series will focus on five axes of challenges:

The first set of challenges revolves around the agenda setting in public and social policies in Latin America. This may include several topics like: redistribution policies, social mobility, marginalization. Another key item to be included deals with sources and consequences of environmental change – especially human-related change. These consequences threaten not only Latin American’s material reproduction (e. g. by threatening water and food sources) but also deeply ingrained cultural practices and lifestyles. This section will, therefore, include proposals on environmental policies and matters. We welcome studies on a wide array of social, public and environmental policy making, implementation and effects.

2) Crime, Security and Violence 

The second set of challenges stem from the persistence of violence and insecurity among Latin Americans, which consistently rank crime and insecurity at the top of their biggest problems. Crime organizations – from youth gangs to drug cartels – have grown and became more professionalized, displacing state forces in considerable chunks of national territories and, in some cases, penetrating the political class through illegal campaign funding and bribes. To this we should add, in some countries of the region, the persistence of armed insurgents fighting against governmental forces and paramilitaries, therefore creating cross-fires that threaten the lives of civilians. We welcome studies on a wide array of security and violence related issues. 

A third theme has to do with how collective actors – social movements, civil society organizations, and quasi-organized groups – deal with issues that affect them. We welcome studies on a wide array of collective actors working on different issues, with different tactics, and diverse ideological stances.

 

Political, economic, and environmental crises, as well as promises of better opportunities in other lands, have encouraged Latin Americans to migrate within their national borders or beyond them. While during the 1970s Latin Americans often migrated to other regions, nowadays national crises encourage them to seek other destinations in more nearby countries.  We welcome studies on a wide array of topics and diverse theoretical perspectives.

Dealing with social and ethnic minorities constitutes one of the most recurrent and unresolved challenges for the Latin American democracies. This topic includes the representation of the minorities, but includes also the study of the socio-political elites. We also welcome other studies on a wide array of issues regarding inclusion and quality of democracy in the region.

Both solicited and unsolicited proposals will be considered for publication in the series.