La Alegría Ya Viene: How Chile's Youth are Reshaping History

Terry, Anna (2014) La Alegría Ya Viene: How Chile's Youth are Reshaping History. Undergraduate thesis, under the direction of Dr. Kate Centellas from Sociology and Anthropology, University of Mississippi.

Preview

Text Anna Terry Thesis PDF.pdf Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (2MB) | Preview

Abstract

The highly controversial military dictatorship in Chile lasted from 1973 to 1989. General Augusto Pinochet’s neoliberal policies saved the country from economic ruin in the 1980’s, but Chile became highly socially unequal as a result. After he was democratically voted out of office, politicians decided not to change his economic policies in order to avoid a collapse, and those policies are still in place today, specifically in terms of education. Therefore, an entire generation of Chileans has grown up after the dictatorship under these same highly unequal education policies, and as a result, they have begun to protest. What started in 2011 has become a national movement for a more equal education system. This has manifested itself in violent protests as well as negative imagery of Pinochet throughout Chile. This thesis explores the relationship between the education movement and formation of public memory about the dictatorship, and further, what role young Chileans play in said formation. By highlighting how young Chileans view Chile’s relationship to the past, it is possible to assess what kind of future they want their country to have.

Actions (login required)

View Item