Latin American Studies Association
fFALL 2008 | oVOLUME XXXIX | ISSUErum4 IN THIS ISSUE
On the Profession Publishing in Latin American Studies Today by SANFORD THATCHER On Academic Publishing: Some Questions and Answers by NIKO PFUND Academic Publishing: Challenges and Opportunities by SUSAN MCEACHERN The Balancing Act of Publishing in Latin American Studies: Let’s Start at the Beginning by AMY GORELICK Responses to Questions on Academic Publishing by THERESA MAY LACEA, The Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association by MAURICIO CARDENAS and MARCELA ESLAVA The Conference of Latin Americanist Geographers by DAVID J. ROBINSON
Debates Igualdad de género y mercado de trabajo en América Latina por LAÍS ABRAMO y MARÍA ELENA VALENZUELA Inequality and Latin American Welfare Regimes: Why Gender Ought to Be at the Top of Political Agendas by CHRISTINA EWIG Women in Rural Mexico Agendas and Transitions by PATRICIA ARIAS Interrogating “Queerness” in Theory and Politics: Reflections from Ecuador by AMY LIND President Eric Hershberg, Simon Fraser University [email protected]
Vice President John Coatsworth, Columbia University [email protected]
Past President Charles R. Hale, University of Texas, Austin [email protected] Table of Contents Treasurer Kevin Middlebrook, University of London [email protected]
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 1 From the President | by ERIC HERSHBERG For term ending April 2009 3 Report on LASA’s Finances and Endowment | by KEVIN J. MIDDLEBROOK Ariel Armony, Colby College Guillermo Delgado, University of California/Santa Cruz José Rabasa, University of California/Berkeley ON THE PROFESSION For term ending October 2010 5 Introduction | by ERIC HERSHBERG Jonathan Hartlyn, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Teresa Valdés, Center for the Study and Development of 6 Publishing in Latin American Studies Today | by SANFORD THATCHER Women (CEDEM), Chile Deborah Yashar, Princeton University 9 On Academic Publishing: Some Questions and Answers | by NIKO PFUND Ex Officio by USAN C ACHERN 11 Academic Publishing: Challenges and Opportunities | S M E Evelyne Huber, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 12 The Balancing Act of Publishing in Latin American Studies: Let’s Start at the Cynthia Steele, University of Washington, Seattle Milagros Pereyra-Rojas, University of Pittsburgh Beginning | by AMY GORELICK Philip Oxhorn, McGill University
13 Responses to Questions on Academic Publishing | by THERESA MAY FORUM EDITORIAL COMMITTEE 14 LACEA, The Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association by MAURICIO CARDENAS and MARCELA ESLAVA Editor Eric Hershberg, Simon Fraser University 15 The Conference of Latin Americanist Geographers | by DAVID J. ROBINSON Associate Editor Antonio Sérgio A. Guimarães, Universidade de São Paulo DEBATES Managing Editor Milagros Pereyra-Rojas, University of Pittsburgh 16 Associate Editor’s Report | por ANTONIO SÉRGIO A. GUIMARÃES
19 Igualdad de género y mercado de trabajo en América Latina FORUM EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE by LAÍS ABRAMO y MARÍA ELENA VALENZUELA Carlos Iván Degregori, Instituto de Estudios Peruanos Katherine Hite, Vassar College 22 Inequality and Latin American Welfare Regimes: Why Gender Ought to Hilda Sábato, Universidad de Buenos Aires Be at the Top of Political Agendas | by CHRISTINA EWIG
25 Women in Rural Mexico: Agendas and Transitions | by PATRICIA ARIAS LASA STAFF 30 Interrogating “Queerness” in Theory and Politics: Reflections from Ecuador Membership Coordinator Jenna B. Bielewicz, University of Pittsburgh by AMY LIND Congress Coordinator Melissa A. Raslevich, University of Pittsburgh ON LASA2009 Assistant Director for Institutional Advancement 35 Report from the Program Chairs | by EVELYNE HUBER and CYNTHIA STEELE Sandra Klinzing, University of Pittsburgh
Executive Director CALLING ALL MEMBERS Milagros Pereyra-Rojas, University of Pittsburgh
36 Elections 2008: Nominating Committee Slate Administrative Coordinator Israel R. Perlov, University of Pittsburgh
LASA SECTIONS The LASA Forum is published four times a year. It is 44 Section News the official vehicle for conveying news about the Latin American Studies Association to its members. Articles appearing in the On the Profession and Debates sections PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL NOTES of the Forum are commissioned by the Editorial Committee and deal with selected themes. The Committee welcomes 45 In Memoriam | CHARLES ADAMS HALE responses to any material published in the Forum. Opinions expressed herein are those of individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Latin American Studies Association or its officers.
ISSN 0890-7218 President’s Report by ERIC HERSHBERG | Simon Fraser University | [email protected]
As a candidate to become LASA Vice 1) Regional reconfigurations President and President-Elect, I articulated several goals that I hoped to achieve during During the 20th century, scholarship in Latin my tenure. These included, most notably, American Studies, like other area studies increasing the opportunities for Latin fields, evolved largely within boundaries American scholars and junior researchers to defined by geographic contiguity. Units of American settings as their empirical take part in LASA Congresses, and fostering analysis typically were fixed in geo-cultural referents, but they do so by conceiving of the dialogue between discipline-based terms, and despite important exceptions, the sites of their research as forming parts of scholarship and the field of Latin American tendency was for researchers to situate their universes that transcend the region per se. Studies. In this context, I am pleased to work into spatial categories that reflected the Little by little, moreover, academic job report that the Andrew W. Mellon institutional configurations of major markets are responding to these intellectual Foundation has awarded the Association a universities, scholarly associations and shifts and, in some universities, hires are grant of $500,000 in support of these and journals. Latin Americanists did their work being clustered along quite novel lines. other objectives over the next five years. I within their area studies circles, Africanists LASA is well situated to push this trend believe that the resulting program of Mellon- did similarly, and so on. The institutional further along and to highlight the LASA workshops will enable us to facilitate terrain was tilted against efforts to rethink importance of these new directions for area innovative scholarly work both at our those very boundaries, to problematize studies work in the 21st century. Congresses and in other venues. regional spaces and to consider alternative aggregations. In North America, academic 2) Cross-regional comparisons The Mellon-LASA workshops will promote job markets reinforced this conservatism, as trans-regional and comparative approaches graduate students and junior faculty were A second consideration involves the to Latin Americanist research in the recruited into positions defined according to importance of fostering opportunities for humanities and social sciences while traditional area studies geographies. cross-regional comparison. Here again, strengthening ties between area studies and among Latin Americanists, almost certainly discipline-driven scholarship. Beginning at This has begun to change over the past beyond what we see in any other area the upcoming meeting in Rio de Janeiro, the decade or so, to varying degrees but in a studies field, the clear trend is toward program will fund Congress participation of growing array of fields: Theoretical expanding the scope of comparative research Latin American researchers, graduate innovation is emerging from approaches to to encompass cases beyond Latin America. students, and scholars whose primary scholarly inquiry that do not deny the This is by no means entirely new: For some empirical focus is on other parts of the salience of regional units but treat them as decades now, comparative third world world but whose work explores topics that historically contingent and porous. history and comparative historical sociology are especially conducive to inter-regional Historians of Latin America’s colonial have been strongly influenced by scholarship comparisons. It will also make possible a period, for example, increasingly frame their involving Latin Americanists, with LASA series of research workshops that will be work in the context of global empire. In members having played a key role in convened at roughly the midway point turn, anthropologists and sociologists consolidating these cross-regional fields of between Congresses. The latter will be focused on issues of racial formations inquiry. More can be done, however, both selected for funding through a peer-reviewed articulate their analyses in terms of the to encourage such research and to diffuse it competition open to all LASA members, and greater Atlantic. Political economists, for to subfields of scholarship that have not yet workshop results will be featured in panel their part, often cluster cases not by location taken advantage of the potential benefits of presentations at the subsequent meeting of alone but also by their structural cross-regional comparison. The study of the Association. characteristics, which frequently but not Latin American land reforms, for example, always fit within geographical constraints has paid relatively little attention to This initiative supports three trends that are suggested by conventional area studies. analogous processes outside the region, and critical to the future advancement of Latin Scholarship on contemporary processes as the same could be said for research on American Studies, which I shall try to varied as international migration, religious pluralism, film production or the summarize very briefly. environmental change and popular use of new technologies for disseminating consumption patterns may take Latin
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scholarly resources. In these domains and productively. One can imagine a scenario in literature analyses of the “boom” in Latin quite a few others, LASA can play an which important (particularly quantitative) American novel production from the late th important role in stimulating cross-regional currents of political science and sociology 1960s through the end of the 20 century. encounters, and in establishing their follow their economist colleagues in Beyond this established track record, we legitimacy as part of the core set of activities removing themselves from under the area believe that by making the promotion of associated with area studies scholarship. studies umbrella. The adverse consequences cross-regional research an explicit objective The Association can also expose scholars for their work would likely be substantial: of the Mellon-LASA program we can go a from outside the realm of Latin American important currents of scholarship in considerable way toward incorporating into Studies to the insights being developed behavioral economics, for example, have our activities networks of scholars whose through analysis of Latin American come to the conclusion that rationality inclinations are precisely toward such experience, thus enriching fields well beyond differs dramatically across local and cultural comparative work. the core areas of concern to the Association. settings. The implication should be that area By opening Latin American Studies to other studies has much to offer the discipline. These efforts, I believe, will enhance LASA’s area studies communities, we may encourage capability to take leadership in cutting edge the latter to broaden their horizons as well. No less importantly, from the perspective of academic work, reinforcing and perhaps area studies as a discrete field in American accelerating encouraging trends that are 3) The necessary rapprochement between universities, the defection of a significant underway in the scholarly community, while disciplines and area studies fraction of the social scientific research demonstrating the role that a dynamic area community could prove devastating. Given studies community can play in promoting In the U.S. academy the last couple of that disciplines remain the most privileged intellectual innovation at universities in the decades of the 20th century witnessed a units in universities throughout the United States and beyond. Taken together, troubling distancing of several key disciplines Hemisphere, if area studies programs are we believe that the components of the from the work of Latin American Studies seen by university administrators as relevant proposed initiative will make an important and other regionally-defined fields. The case solely to inter- and trans-disciplinary fields contribution to Latin American Studies and of economics is surely the most glaring they may be weakened irreparably. For to internationally-oriented scholarship more example of this trend, and it is to the mutual LASA, and for our membership, no objective generally. They will enable LASA to build detriment of economists and area studies is more important than that of cultivating on some of its existing strengths, and to researchers that the twain seldom meet. But dialogue and mutual learning among those move in new directions that are important the tension between area studies and who define themselves as mainstream for our efforts to push the frontiers of disciplinary approaches was and to some disciplinary researchers and those who research in the social sciences and extent remains apparent in domains ranging identify with Latin American Studies in its humanities alike. from comparative literature to political many manifestations. science and sociology. At one level this simply reflected a fundamental difference of The good news is that that LASA is view concerning the importance of empirical especially well situated to rekindle the research for scholarly excellence, with some interest of core social science disciplines. In disciplinary purists retreating into theory or part this reflects the degree to which some of model building that putatively applied in all the most influential work in Latin American places and at all times. Studies has also impacted the disciplines. This is the case in political science for work Over the past decade the climate has on such topics as the political economy of improved considerably, with at least a democratization; in sociology for research on rhetorical consensus in favor of work that is the determinants and impacts of rooted in disciplinary theory and engaged international migration; for anthropologists’ with the complexities of local settings. Yet conceptualizations of the emergence of the tensions remain, and there is good hybrid identities in the age of transnational reason to attempt to address them cultural processes; and for comparative
2 Report on LASA’s Finances and Endowment by KEVIN J. MIDDLEBROOK | Treasurer
In the interest of providing LASA members quarterly conference-call consultations with “Socially Responsible” Investments with timely information concerning our members of the Investment Committee. In Association’s finances, this report reviews addition to its ex officio members (LASA’s Over the past fifteen years or so, many not- LASA’s overall financial situation, the president, treasurer, and executive director), for-profit organizations have adopted a financial reporting practices now in place, the committee’s current membership consists strategy of making “socially responsible” and issues concerning the management of of Judith Albert, Marc P. Blum, Kimberley investments (SRI) in an effort to align their LASA’s permanent endowment. Conroy, and Thomas J. Trebat, all of whom investment decisions more fully with their have substantial experience in private-sector ethical concerns. So-called SRI funds banking and investment firms. Since June typically forego investments in some General Finances and Financial 2005 LASA’s endowment has been managed categories (tobacco companies, defense Reporting Arrangements professionally by Smith Barney, a major U.S. contractors, gambling enterprises, and so brokerage firm. forth) or concentrate investments in Over the past several years, LASA has taken particular areas (environmental technology, steps to ensure the professional management Overall Performance for instance). However, because SRI funds of its finances. The Association’s annual are by definition narrower in composition financial statements are audited As of September 1, 2008, LASA’s than many other equity funds, sometimes independently by the Pittsburgh-based endowment totaled $3,751,274. This total carry higher management fees, and may not accounting firm Sisterson & Co. In its most was allocated among three major investment perform as well as the stock market in recent report (for the fiscal year ending categories: equities (stocks), 70.1 percent; general, there may be a trade-off between September 30, 2007), Sisterson & Co. fixed-income assets (bonds), 25.9 percent; responding to ethical concerns and the determined that the Association had total net and cash, 4.0 percent. overall financial return on such investments. assets of $5,517,562. The auditors found no “material weaknesses” (as defined by the The value of LASA’s endowment has fallen LASA first made a small SRI investment American Institute of Certified Public from its peak of $4,294,232 on October 31, ($200,000) in 2006. This initiative was Accountants) in LASA’s financial statements 2007, as a consequence of the general reasonably successful, in the sense that the or in its internal financial controls or decline in equities markets over the past year. fund’s performance closely paralleled that of operations, and they made no Because of continuing uncertainty in global the broad-based Standard & Poor’s stock recommendations for changes in the markets, the Investment Committee has market index. However, a closer Secretariat’s financial procedures. opted to maintain a relatively conservative examination of the company composition of “risk profile” that gives additional weight to the chosen fund (the KLD Social Index The LASA Secretariat has also adopted fixed-income investments and cash. Fund) revealed that it only excluded tobacco several measures to comply with the companies, while including leading defense requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of The distribution of equity investments contractors, firms with a highly questionable 2002. For example, since October 2006 among broad “market category” funds labor-rights record, and other companies LASA’s executive director has sent the LASA (“large capitalization” stocks, “small whose business practices might be of treasurer monthly summaries of all capitalization” stocks, “emerging market” significant concern to LASA members. Association expenditures, as well as separate funds, and so forth) reflects the Investment notification of all disbursements over Committee’s judgment that the endowment At its January 2007 meeting, the Executive $5,000. In addition, the Secretariat has is still too small to merit the higher fees Council expressed strong support for a improved procedures for records retention generally associated with speciality portfolio transition toward more socially responsible and adopted a “whistleblower” policy. management, in which an account manager investments in the management of the would be actively involved in buying and Association’s endowment. The Treasurer selling shares in individual companies. subsequently drafted a statement of Endowment investment principles highlighting the SRI issue. This statement was discussed, Decisions concerning the management of amended, and then formally adopted by the LASA’s endowment are made on the basis of
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Executive Council at its September 2007 Association) to learn more about how they endowment. The principal constraint is that meeting in Montréal: have engaged the SRI issue. the endowment is still too small to justify active portfolio management, and most of “The principal purpose of LASA is to On the basis of this additional information, the broad index funds (“emerging market” foster intellectual discussion, research, in September 2007 LASA’s Ways and Means or “developed-country international” funds, and teaching on Latin America, the Committee and the Executive Council agreed for example) that provide an essential degree Caribbean, and its peoples throughout (pending advice from the Investment of diversity in the Association’s investment the Americas, and to promote the Committee) to shift a significant proportion portfolio cannot be screened using SRI interests of its diverse membership and of the Association’s “large capitalization” criteria. encourage civic engagement. investments (U.S. companies with a market capitalization of more than $1 billion) into LASA members with questions concerning LASA’s permanent endowment funds are the Domini 400 Social Index Fund, a major any of the issues addressed in this report can invested to promote these primary goals. SRI fund that is available through Smith contact Kevin Middlebrook at: The endowment funds should be invested Barney. The fund employs a variety of social [email protected]. in such a way as to minimize short-term and ethical “filters” (community relations, fluctuations, protect their real value from corporate governance, workplace diversity, erosion due to inflation, and achieve employee relations, the environment, human long-term capital growth. rights, and product quality and safety) to select 400 stocks from among the Standard At the same time, LASA assumes & Poor’s 500 largest U.S. firms. The responsibility for the moral implications fund’s goal is to track closely the overall and social consequences of its investment performance of the Standard & Poor’s 500 policies. It therefore seeks to avoid stock index. investments that are inconsistent with the pursuit of peace, the preservation of the Investment Committee members natural environment, and the promotion subsequently endorsed this decision, of a democratic, humane social order. In although they recommended that the its equity investments, LASA should give transition to SRI take place gradually. As priority to companies that protect the of September 1, 2008, the Domini 400 fund environment, support workplace diversity represented 20.6 percent of LASA’s total and responsible worker-employer endowment holdings and 29.4 percent of its relations, and otherwise contribute to the equity investments. Between January and social good. At a minimum, it should August 2008 the Domini 400 Social Index avoid investments in companies that Fund slightly outperformed the broad manufacture armaments, munitions, and Standard & Poor’s 500 market index. The tobacco products.” Investment Committee has agreed to evaluate the fund’s performance through The Treasurer simultaneously sought 2009 before considering further investments additional information concerning socially in it. responsible investing. He consulted informally with members of the Investment LASA has, then, taken very significant steps Committee regarding possible SRI funds, toward more socially responsible investing. and he communicated with cognate It is important to note, however, that for professional associations (the African Studies now there may be practical limits to how far Association, American Anthropological LASA can move in this direction while Association, American Political Science exercising sound fiduciary responsibility in Association, and American Sociological the management of its permanent
4 ON THE PROFESSION
Introduction by ERIC HERSHBERG | Simon Fraser University | [email protected]
The On the Profession section of this issue • What is your view toward publishing of the Forum addresses a domain that, in my edited collections, and how, if at all, has view, is of great importance to our this evolved in recent years? membership, namely, trends in scholarly publishing in our field. Five prominent • How important is prospective course English-language publishers have provided adoption for determining whether a pieces in response to our request to reflect manuscript is accepted for publication? on a series of issues specified below. The responses by publishers took various forms. • Under what if any conditions might you Some, in keeping with the brief they were agree to review a manuscript that is also provided, offered item by item responses, being sent for consideration by other and in my view these are quite informative. publishers? Others chose to approach the issues I presented in broader context, reflecting on • How do you make decisions about cloth the state of academic publishing and its or paperback release of your books? evolution over time. Sandy Thatcher, of Penn State University Press, opens the • What is your approach to online section with an assessment of core issues availability? facing the academic community, and does so building on an essay he presented in the • What are some of the key issues on the Forum more than a decade ago (Winter horizon that will affect the future 1993). Others, also insightfully, respond directions of scholarly publication in our point by point to the queries posed by my field? invitation. I hope that their reflections, taken as a whole, will provide LASA members with a useful set of perspectives of issues that are pressing for our work. We are grateful to these publishers for taking the time to share their thoughts on questions that, given the importance of publication for scholarship and for performance evaluation and promotion, are of considerable interest to much of our membership.
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ON THE PROFESSION
Publishing in Latin American Studies Today by SANFORD THATCHER | Penn State University Press | [email protected]
Scholarly publishers have become used to American studies publishing more of their types of books, as noted above, only to have thinking of our business as continually in books abroad, (2) LASA itself assuming their missions questioned by their parent crisis. Going back to at least the early responsibility for publishing some universities as they now seem to have drifted 1970s, when a series of influential articles monographs (as, say, the American away from their core mandate to publish defining the nature of the crisis appeared in Sociological Association does with its Rose scholarly monographs.5 Consequently, those Scholarly Publishing, we are now well into Monograph Series), and (3) experimentation universities with presses seem little inclined our fourth decade of crisis management.1 I with electronic publishing (premised on its to increase their subsidies, and those without have made some contributions to this acceptability to tenure committees). have little motivation to launch new presses.6 literature, notably for LASA an essay in the With the squeeze on students’ finances from Winter 1993 issue of the Forum titled “Latin The good news is that not all has stayed the escalating tuition and other fees, teachers American Studies and the Crisis in Scholarly same, and some significant changes have have taken advantage of the new Communication.”2 What has changed and occurred. But the impact of these changes technologies that provide them with course- what has stayed the same since then? has been mixed. Consider the advantages management systems like Blackboard and offered by the availability of dissertations in Sakai and e-reserve systems through libraries The bad news is that many of the disturbing electronic form, both through the to put many articles and book chapters trends I highlighted in that article still commercial databases of ProQuest and online that were earlier included in print continue today. These include (1) growth in through the interuniversity cooperative effort course packs. (Edited collections are the number, size, and cost of journals; (2) known as the Networked Digital Library of particularly susceptible to being cherry- cancellation of subscriptions by university Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD), which picked in this manner, as acquiring editors libraries, especially for journals in print began in the mid-1990s and has grown are well aware, making them more reluctant form; (3) despite these cancellations, a steady substantially since then. While making to take them on.) Unfortunately, either by decline in the proportion of library budgets scholarly literature of this type far more intention or through ignorance, much of this available to purchase monographs compared readily accessible than ever before, such online copying produces no revenue at all with journals and electronic databases; (4) databases have had the concomitant for presses, which experience a further less administrative support for journal disadvantages of putting even more pressure erosion of sales of paperback editions for editorial offices; (5) no increase in subsidies on junior faculty trying to publish their first adoption at the same time as they are for university presses; and (6) more demand book in order to gain tenure. Libraries, experiencing an erosion of sales of the cloth than ever for publication of journal articles quite rationally, figure that since their editions because more libraries than ever are and monographs by faculty seeking tenure collections now include access to virtually all now purchasing paperbacks whenever they and promotion. For university presses dissertations produced in the United States, are published simultaneously with publishing monographs, the future looked they should not spend their scarce book hardbacks.7 This change in purchasing bleak. As I detailed in that article, the budgets on monographs that have derived patterns has compelled many presses to average sale of a typical monograph had from dissertations. Presses, also quite return to the earlier scheme of publishing dropped from around 1,500 in the early rationally, know that libraries are purchasing books first in hardback and then only later, 1970s to fewer than 1,000 by the early fewer such monographs and thus can after a delay of a year or so, issuing them in 1980s all the way down to 500 by the early anticipate lower sales on these books than paperback—unless subsidies can be 1990s. Faced with such a steep decline in others; hence editors are wary of inviting provided to make publication of a this stream of revenue, many presses had submission of revised dissertations. Yet paperback possible right away by making up resorted to publishing more “mid-list” trade tenure committees continue to treat the for the income lost from decreased hardback books (which big commercial publishers had monograph as the gold standard for sales (which are often below 100 copies for a been abandoning in favor of blockbuster publication in many fields of the humanities dual edition). titles), reference works, regional titles, and social sciences. Overall, then, the paperbacks for course adoption, and even system as a whole has become The rise of chain superstores like Barnes and fiction and poetry, leaving fewer slots on dysfunctional.4 Noble and of online retailers like their lists open to monographs.3 As possible Amazon.com in the past decade has been a solutions to this crisis, I had analyzed the With monographs less reliable as a source of mixed blessing. While providing vastly more pros and cons of (1) faculty in Latin income, presses have invested more in other shelf space to display titles, chain stores
6 stock only titles carrying trade discounts, experimentation with electronic publishing. access” already gaining great strength as an and they follow inventory rules that oblige A further evolution of business models built alternative to subscription-based publishing them to return copies that have not sold in around this technology led to “short-run in journals, especially in the sciences, the ninety days; so, even if more scholarly titles digital printing” (SRDP), which allowed for future looks bright. But books present much of broad interest are making it into these an intermediate stage of a book’s life cycle, greater challenges in making the transition. stores, they often do not get reviewed early starting with traditional offset printing of a The Mellon Foundation’s latest annual enough for people to know they are there to modest number of hardbacks (400-500), report admits that neither the Gutenberg-e buy, resulting in large returns for those then SRDP printings ranging from 100 to nor the ACLS History (now Humanities) E- presses that engage in trade publishing. 300 copies for the paperback edition, and Book projects lived up to early expectations Amazon makes millions of titles available finally pure POD for the “long tail” of the and they seem unsustainable, at least as and is incomparable as a bibliographic book’s final stage (where the search originally envisioned, over the long term.10 resource, with such added features as capabilities of Google provide the This has to do not only with issues of “Search Inside the Book;” but at the same opportunity to sell a book indefinitely into technical complexity and the need for expert time it helps presses sell new books, it the future, even if just one copy at a time, staff support and extensive training of undercuts those sales by offering used copies ending the need ever to declare a book out faculty involved, but also with legal barriers on the same page, and for a while it was of print).9 It cannot be emphasized enough of permissions needed especially for works even selling dissertations under an that this single technological breakthrough incorporating multimedia and difficulties for arrangement with ProQuest, thus has been the salvation of scholarly long-term archival preservation. Also, few exacerbating the publication of revised publishing and can help keep it afloat for advocates of “open access” have yet been dissertations. many years to come—until, if ever, demand willing to talk about how it can be applied for print copies ceases and customers to books, and as time goes on, there is a So, is there any unambiguously good news become satisfied with reading everything in danger of creating another “digital divide” to report? Happily, there is, and it takes the electronic form in future iterations of between book and journal content, the latter form of what Cambridge sociologist (and Amazon’s Kindle, the Sony Reader, or any increasingly available online, the former Polity Press co-owner) John Thompson has number of varieties of mobile phone devices. not.11 Meanwhile, no one has yet mounted dubbed the “hidden revolution” in scholarly an effort as ambitious as the one I outlined publishing.8 This is, simply, the rise to Will that future ever come? It is difficult to in my 1993 Forum article, though there are prominence of the same technology that say. Predictions about electronic publishing several smaller-scale efforts under way, produced the Xerox machine, which as the are notoriously unreliable, as those large including a monograph series in Romance Docutech became the prototype of a digital commercial companies that invested and lost Studies being carried out at my own press as printing machine that has since taken the millions at the beginning of the new an “open access” experiment in our joint industry by storm. Its breakout event came millennium can attest. But ask a publisher venture with the library that we call the with the founding of Lightning Print, now about XML, and you will find that, for Office of Digital Scholarly Publishing.12 It is Lightning Source, in the late 1990s as a those who have not already done so, most of through such experiments that we will subsidiary of the Ingram Company, the them have begun to think seriously about eventually find out what fate awaits the largest wholesale book distributor in the incorporating XML markup into the monograph in our brave new digital world.13 country. By providing the ability to store production process, so as to be ready for the books in a digital repository and print them time when both book and journal content out one copy at a time to fill order from the can be “multi-purposed” for use on all these Endnotes bookstores it services, Lightning Source different types of electronic reading devices. 1 offered as “print on demand” (POD) a In the scholarly arena, it is quite clear that William B. Harvey, Herbert S. Bailey, Jr., William C. Becker, and John B. Putnam, “The solution to the industry’s #1 problem: excess journals have been making the transition Impending Crisis in University Publishing,” inventory, which ties up capital for long from print to electronic quite successfully, Scholarly Publishing 3 (April 1972): 195-207. periods of time and has to be written off and with Project Muse proving to have been the William C. Becker, “The Crisis—One Year pulped at the end. Henceforth demand and Mellon Foundation’s greatest success so far Later,” Scholarly Publishing 4 (July 1973): supply could be kept in close equilibrium, in encouraging the move into the digital era 291-302. William C. Becker, “The Crisis—Is freeing up capital for other uses, including in scholarship. And now, with “open
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THATCHER continued…
It Over?” Scholarly Publishing 5 (April 1974): closure. Some have responded to these in scholarly publishing: “I would submit that 195-210. expectations by elevating cost-recovery in their economic forces will shape the future library selection criteria, publishing more trade books more than either user needs or evolving 2 Other contributions of mine include: “The and shying away from the least marketable information technology. The driving force Crisis in Scholarly Communication,” The fields. This approach may improve their which will mandate change in libraries is the Chronicle of Higher Education, March 3, financial situation, while at the same time economic reality that higher education and 1995, B1-B2; “The Future of Scholarly undermining the case for subsidies.” society in general can no longer economically Publishing in Comparative Politics,” APSA support scholarly communication and Organized Section on Comparative Politics 7 The erosion of revenue from copying done scholarly publishing in their present Newsletter, Summer 2000, 6-10; “The Future through course-management and e-reserve configurations. We all must balance our of Scholarly Book Publishing in Political systems has, in the extreme, driven some personal checkbooks each month or face the Theory,” PS: Political Science and Politics 40 publishers to bring suit for copyright creditors. I submit that we can no longer (January): 129-132; “Scholarly Book infringement. In April 2008 the presses of balance our library checkbooks and that Publishing in Political Science: A Hazardous Cambridge and Oxford, joined by Sage scholarly publishing will be forced to Business,” in Stephen Yoder, ed., Publishing Publications, filed suit against Georgia State reconfigure itself, albeit over a significant Political Science (Washington, D.C.: American University for illegal copying of books and period of time.” Nancy Eaton is now Dean of Political Science Association, 2008), Ch. 3, pp. journals they publish. Libraries and Scholarly Communication at 35-51. Penn State. It was her vision that led to the 8 See John Thompson, Books in the Digital Age creation of the Office of Digital Scholarly 3 I traced this displacement effect in relation to (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2005), esp. Part IV, Publishing in the spring of 2005 and the “mid-list” trade books in “Scholarly “The Digital Revolution.” administration merger of the press and the Monographs May Be the Ultimate Victims of library later that year. The Ithaka Report the Upheavals in Trade Publishing,” The 9 The theory of “the long tail” was first devotes a paragraph to the Office’s projects as Chronicle of Higher Education, October 10, popularized by Chris Anderson in an article in a model of one way that scholarly publishing 1990, B2-B3. Wired in October 2004 and elaborated by him can be reconfigured. This essay is dedicated to later in The Long Tail: Why the Future of her. 4 I explain this dysfunctionality in more detail in Business is Selling More of Less (New York: “Dissertations into Books? The Lack of Logic Hyperion, 2006). in the System,” Against the Grain 19/2 (April 2007): 75-77. A recent effort to move away 10 See Donald J. Walters and Joseph S. Meisel, from placing so much emphasis on the “Scholarly Publishing Initiatives,” in the 2007 monograph as the “gold standard” of Annual Report of the Andrew W. Mellon publication is the Modern Language Foundation, pp. 31-45. Association’s “Report on Evaluating Scholarship for Tenure” (released December 7, 11 I address the problem of open access for books 2006). in “The Challenge of Open Access for niversity Presses,” Learned Publishing 20/3 (July 2007): 5 This mission drift was a major theme of the 65-72. An abbreviated version of this article so-called Ithaka Report, “University Publishing was formally adopted by the Association of in a Digital Age” (released July 23, 2007). American University Presses as its Statement on Open Access in February 2007: 6 The Ithaka Report (p. 19) describes well the http://aaupnet.org/aboutup/issues/oa/index.html. kind of Catch-22 in which university presses find themselves at present. “They feel they are 12 For current projects of the Office of Digital held to a different standard than all the cost Scholarly Publishing at Penn State, centers on campus, that they are essentially including the Romance Studies series, see penalized for pursuing a cost recovery model, http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/odsp/current which then becomes the basis for evaluating _projects.html. their performance. When they perform well (in financial terms), they are ‘rewarded’ by 13 In my 1993 Forum article, I quoted Nancy having their subsidies cut. When they run too Eaton, then director of Iowa State’s library, as large a deficit, they are threatened with putting her finger on the heart of the problem
8 ON THE PROFESSION
On Academic Publishing Some Questions and Answers by NIKO PFUND | Vice President and Publisher, Academic and Trade Books Oxford University Press, New York
What is your view toward publishing edited we don’t believe it will adopt. Far from it, That said, scholars are, I believe, well- collections, and how if at all has this in fact. While we of course strive to publish advised not to take a “carpetbombing” evolved in recent years? books that have the potential both to change approach when submitting proposals since our understanding of a subject or period and most publishers request, as does Oxford, Our enthusiasm for publishing edited to garner significant adoptions (our recently that we be given the opportunity to complete volumes, which had cooled considerably, has published Americanos by John Chasteen is our review process once it has been initiated been somewhat rekindled by the migration an example of such), we don’t look to before the author makes a final publishing —both real and anticipated—of scholarship conflate our pedagogical publishing with decision. If you send your work to too many to the web. Whereas edited volumes have our scholarly publishing (and in fact have a editors, you may be hamstrung in this generally been viewed by scholars and higher education publishing division entirely regard, held up by a particularly slow review librarians alike as less valuable than single- separate from our academic publishing arm). process at one press. authored book-length works and have long We are admittedly not displeased when the been overlooked by book review editors, two dovetail, as they do with award-winning How do you make decisions about cloth or online availability of the chapters in a well- titles. paperback release of your books? edited, well-conceived, and well-executed edited volume today in many ways liberates Under what if any conditions might you Very much on an ad hoc basis. We view a given essay from the fetters of print. agree to review a manuscript that is also each new book according to the likely size of being sent for consideration by other the readership (a calculation based on the That said, we generally avoid grab-bag publishers? subject, author, writing style, competing volumes consisting of unedited or loosely titles, etc.) and whether that readership edited conference proceedings, preferring We regularly review manuscripts that are consists primarily of institutional libraries, projects that were originally conceptualized also being considered by other publishers specialists in a given discipline or as books, per se. We also are taking a very and have no hard-and-fast policy in this subdiscipline, students, or general readers. hard look at projects consisting even in part respect. Individual editors may in certain of previously published articles, unless the instances request a period of exclusive There are also differences in convention project is specifically—very specifically and review if they are particularly enthusiastic between the disciplines in this regard. deliberately—tailored to a particular course about a project and will then strive to Works in media studies, for instance, or and is organized with adoption as a text in accelerate our review process and bring it to linguistics tend to be published more mind. an expeditious conclusion, but it is up to the frequently in simultaneous cloth and author to decide whether or not to grant paperback editions than do books in, say, How important is prospective course such exclusivity. history or politics. adoption for determining whether a manuscript is accepted for publication? On the whole, we do not believe authors are Book type matters as well. In the life well-served by limiting their options to a sciences, for instance, field guides almost The answer to this question depends entirely single press, unless they have a pre-existing always appear simultaneously whereas on the nature of the manuscript. If the relationship with that press, or with an research monographs are almost always manuscript is intended as an original and editor at that press, or are especially eager to published in hardcover. Edited volumes research-based work of scholarship that will be published under the auspices of a given sometimes appear in simultaneous editions contribute substantively to the scholarly series, and/or have reason to believe the (especially if they are targeting a classroom literature, the question is moot since OUP review process is likely to result in the offer audience), whereas festschriften publish in continues to publish many works of of a contract. What no author wants, of hardcover. specialized scholarship that are highly course, is to spend months waiting for a unlikely ever to be used in courses. So, we review process to draw to a close, only to Most often we prefer to publish works of would not look unfavorably on a manuscript have the press’s decision ultimately be not to original research—whether specialized that takes a novel or revisionist position and publish, in which case the author must start monographs or books geared toward a thus has the potential to transform our from square one. larger audience—first in hardcover and then understanding of its subject simply because selectively to publish paperback editions
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PFUND continued…
approximately 18-24 months subsequent to the Oxford Dictionary of National (i.e., the fact that publishers can now print the original hardcover publication. Biography; the African-American Studies single copies of a book on demand, much Center Online; the Islamic Studies Center like we print documents from our desktops), What is your approach to online Online; Oxford Music Online; Oxford Art I think this question of “print or digital” has availability? Online; our Digital Reference Shelf become a red herring. Digital will not encyclopedias; and Oxford Scholarship displace books in an environment where “Online availability” can mean a great many Online, our award-winning archive of different formats exist side-by-side. Some things. To name just a few: publication of scholarly books. new formats may squeeze out other new the final book as an ebook by the publisher; formats in the current Precambrian era we’re publication of the final book as an ebook by And we’ve taken a particularly proactive now in, but print will be with us for many a commercial aggregator; publication of the approach with our journals publishing, decades yet to come. As long as authors have final book in an online archive (whether experimenting widely with various open proud mothers and fathers who want to Oxford’s own Oxford Scholarship Online or access models. show off their progeny’s work, books will a multi-publisher aggregator such as Ebrary); remain a staple. the posting by an author of a PDF of the What are some of the key issues on the final book on her personal or departmental horizon that will affect the future directions In this environment, scholarly publishers will website; the posting by an author of a “gray of scholarly publication in our field? need continually to demonstrate the value matter” draft of the manuscript of the book they add to the scholarly communication before it has been edited by the press; The humanities are clearly in the early stages ecosystem, and to make sure they are inclusion in marketing programs such as of a migration to a mixed-model publishing adjusting according to what the academic Amazon’s Search Inside the Book which is environment wherein the printed book will community requires of us. intended to stimulate interest in the book usefully interact with online versions of the and drive print sales; inclusion in Google’s same work. What this means for individual * * * Book Search program. scholarly communities varies from discipline to discipline but the first dividing line is In closing, I’m always pleased to chat with While Oxford discourages authors from arguably between the sciences and the scholars and librarians about any of the posting unedited drafts of their work on humanities. The sciences have already made above issues and welcome questions and their websites (and yet encourages them to great strides in converting to a digital comments. My email address is selectively share such drafts with colleagues environment, steps which remain yet to be [email protected]. with an eye toward soliciting constructive taken in the humanities world for a number criticism prior to publication), we actively of reasons (e.g., sources of funding, the pace participate in a number of programs of research and the need to publish results intended to drive awareness and sales of our quickly, the sciences’ reliance on journal authors’ works, whether in print or digital publishing over book publishing, and the form. We are in the early years of what will baseline orientation of humanists toward the be a long transitional period in the history of book). scholarly communication and publishing, and we actively seek out and exploit Just as I’m hard-pressed to imagine a opportunities via which we can creatively humanities academy without books, I can and proactively get the word out about our also not imagine that the book’s format authors’ books. hegemony will hold for all that much longer. A decade ago, I would have argued that a In addition to working with other key step in this evolution will be the organizations to disseminate our books acceptance by tenure committees of digital online, Oxford publishes a wide array of forms of scholarship that never see books and reference products online, publication in print. However, with the including: the Oxford English Dictionary; changing economics of digital publishing
10 ON THE PROFESSION
Academic Publishing Challenges and Opportunities by SUSAN MCEACHERN | Editorial Director, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers [email protected]
To paraphrase Mark Twain’s famous quote, as well as appeal to a wide array of scholars, more potential readers aware of a book’s “Reports of the death of the book have been general readers, and policymakers. And existence, enhancing “buzz” and sales. greatly exaggerated.” Publishing in the field although it’s true that many academic titles of Latin American Studies continues to be a will find their way into a scattering of senior Because of these trends, Rowman & vibrant enterprise, but there is no question seminars and graduate courses, enrollments Littlefield is focusing especially on the that the trends that have constricted in those classes are small and the cost of undergraduate textbook market. Challenges academic publishing in general are marketing to those idiosyncratic and face us here as well, however. Students are influencing publishing on Latin American specialized courses are large. We much less and less inclined to buy the books their subjects as well. prefer to consider a book that has been professors require, let alone those on the written and presented realistically with an recommended reading list. If they do, they One of the bigger blows to academic book easily identifiable —and reachable— will seek out a used copy from the publishing has been the consolidation of the audience in mind. increasingly aggressive used-book market journals business, which has allowed the over a new one or share with a friend. But major journals publishers to raise We acquisitions editors also often are wary the psychic (and sometimes practical) subscription prices well above the rate of of edited volumes that are heralded for their rewards are great of publishing a book that inflation. This has left libraries with no multi-disciplinary breadth. It’s a noble and helps the next generation become informed choice but to devote larger proportions of exciting concept in theory, but in practice citizens—whether by teaching critical their budgets to maintain their ongoing such works tend to speak to no one rather thinking, helping students view an issue with journal subscriptions. So, given that most than to everyone. It’s a phenomenon not informed eyes, or opening a window to a library budgets are not keeping pace with dissimilar to the mass email requesting previously unknown world. inflation, the overall pie is smaller, and more action. If a recipient sees that others are of that smaller pie is going to pay for receiving the same request, he or she not I will end with a modest plea to all the journals as well as a growing array of unnaturally assumes that someone else will professors reading this essay. I hope you will electronic materials. Thus, the traditional respond. think of the ongoing health of your favorite financial supporter of the monograph, the publisher or of your favorite colleague’s academic library, is no longer able to provide Specialized authored books too are royalty check before you sell an exam or a reliable sales foundation for specialized endangered. True, librarians are more likely review copy through a used-book site or to books. to buy monographs than edited volumes, but your campus bookstore. Consider making they do so now as part of a larger the tests in your courses open book as long As libraries have become more selective in consortium, relying on inter-library loan to as the student has his or her own copy of the their book acquisitions, the first victim to be obtain a book for their patrons. With the required text. This may sound like a self- sacrificed has been the edited volume. growing acceptance by libraries of electronic interested scheme to sell books, but it’s Whether based on a conference proceeding books through OCLC’s NetLibrary, ebrary, intended more as an incentive for your or carefully developed from a commissioned and other vendors, e-publishing is an ever- students to read and refer to the works you set of essays, edited collections are viewed by more viable option for books whose primary discuss in class—an essential part of the librarians as an easy choice to drop from purpose is to convey specialized information learning process, as all of us who love books their approval plans. Quality and level of and analysis. well know! presentation is often uneven, and journals are more likely to review authored rather I have mixed feelings about the free than edited volumes. As a result, Rowman electronic availability of works we hope to & Littlefield is accepting very few edited publish commercially. In the case of collections unless they are specifically specialized books whose primary audience is designed as readers for the classroom. looking for selected, specific information within its pages, I have found that free Specifically designed is the key phrase here: Internet access undermines book sales. For many authors and editors genuinely believe more general works that will be read cover that their book will have course adoptions, to cover, electronic availability tends to make
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ON THE PROFESSION
The Balancing Act of Publishing in Latin American Studies: Let’s Start at the Beginning by AMY GORELICK | Senior Acquisitions Editor, University Press of Florida | [email protected]
On one hand, the needs of the press; on the written had an identity crisis: the author developing a full proposal, because once other, the author’s desires. Editors and wanted to write what amounted to a memoir again, the editor can help balance the press’s publishers have danced this delicate waltz about his family and its relation to the city; I needs and the author’s wishes. for a long time. Today, academic publishing wanted a more conventional history. After has its own version of the balancing act: to the author spent some additional time The final starting point is the writing itself. recoup publishing costs. Years ago, the need revising the manuscript, he finally struck the This goes straight to the heart of the book’s for balance was not quite so pronounced. right narrative balance by using his family potential in the marketplace. It is here that University presses had the luxury of being stories to illuminate the larger history of the the most vital balancing act occurs: an able to publish important works for their city. The peer reviewers praised the author author’s sometimes ambitious expectations own sake, and could trust that research for his elegant writing and the style of the for the work versus the reality of the market. libraries and individuals would buy scholarly narrative. The author and I both navigated Simply put, technical books about narrow books in large numbers. However, in this this balancing act successfully, since his book topics are often of greater importance to time of tightening budgets for both presses was improved without losing its personal other scholars but are not likely to reach a and buyers, presses want to publish quality flair, but it will also be accessible to a wider broader audience, including undergraduate books that will also sell a sufficient number audience and thus sell more copies. course adoption, while easy-to-read books of copies. Authors want to write books that about big issues have better prospects (and make a scholarly impact but are typically The potential format of the text is also thus more obvious paperback) potential. less concerned about the financial pressures related to the conception of the book. The rules for writing an accessible book are on today’s publishing enterprise. I contend Authors commonly ask how they should the same for Latin American studies as they that instead of thinking about this present a topic; most often, they ask if it are for any academic discipline: the relationship as one of differing goals, we should be addressed in a single-authored manuscript should be an engaging narrative, must collaborate on producing more books book or an edited volume. I think many not a series of discrete observations or that succeed on both a financial and editors would agree with me that an edited articles; it should tell stories, not just relate academic level. Herein, I offer some ideas volume is not the ideal book form. Authors information; and its prose should have more on how scholars in Latin American studies who have published edited volumes will flourish than a typical academic book. If can help publishers in the discipline balance readily tell aspiring editors-to-be that there it you wish to write the sort of book that will these larger goals from the outset. takes far more effort to keep a dozen be assigned by your colleagues, an editor can authors on schedule than to write the book give you the necessary advice, but it is Since this essay is about the beginning, let us themselves. Press editors know that edited incorrect to assume that all scholarly books start with the conception of the book works can be tricky to peer review and can have course potential. project. I think that some of the most be complicated to copyedit. worthwhile publications are ones where the This last point begs a further clarification very foundations of the work are open for However, some topics are inspired choices about whether to publish the work in discussion. While some books result from for an edited volume. In Latin American paperback, hard cover, e-book, or all of the an editor pitching an idea to an author, studies, there seems to be a trend toward a above simultaneously. At our press, we many more books (especially those by broad regional or even hemispheric initially print all scholarly books in hard younger scholars) originate from the author’s approach to certain topics, and thus a cover, though this practice is not a universal own proposal. Editors are supposed to help variety of specific country expertise or the one for presses that publish in Latin develop the strengths of a manuscript as part diverse training of several scholars can shed American studies. The largest market for of their jobs, but they only do so when they light on key issues. For instance, our monographs is research libraries, and they feel strongly about eventually publishing the forthcoming book Rural Social Movements typically prefer archival quality publications book. Therefore, a writer should take these in Latin America gathers scholars and and will pay the additional costs for directions from his or her editor seriously. activists together to discuss a very hot topic. hardbacks as long as they are not exorbitant. One author could not have written this book That is not to say if a paperback is available, To give an example, I have been working alone; thus, it is a good concept for an edited that libraries will not buy the less expensive with a senior scholar on the history of a volume. It is always a good idea to sound format and rebind it as a hardcover, which Latin American city. The book as originally out an editor on an edited volume before loses the press valuable sales revenue.
12 ON THE PROFESSION
Responses to Questions on Academic Publishing
by THERESA MAY | Editor-in-Chief, University of Texas Press | [email protected]
Electronic publications are not a major What is your view toward publishing edited cogent reasons for doing simultaneous factor in the sales equation for most collections, and how if at all has this cloth/paper runs or paperback only, but scholarly books at this time, because buyers evolved in recent years? those are the exceptions these days. do not yet purchase them in large enough numbers, so their sales numbers do not We have traditionally held to the view that, Under what if any conditions might you significantly contribute to the overall revenue for most discipline areas, there is a limited agree to review a manuscript that is also stream for the book (this may well change in market for edited volumes and therefore our being sent for consideration by other the next decade or so). Cost recovery has resources were better reserved for more publishers? become a most critical metric in determining coherent works by an author or two. There an academic list’s viability. In fact, some have been some notable exceptions, however, We rarely do this because we simply don’t presses have moved out of publishing in and we have used one work in particular, have either the staff or the resources to Latin American studies entirely precisely The Idea of Race in Latin America edited by invest significantly in a manuscript that we because they felt they had to publish in Richard Graham, as a model for how a may not get. Instead, in return for a modest paperback even when it was not fiscally multi-author work can succeed. In general, if period of exclusivity, we try to offer an responsible for them to do so. If an the edited volume is for a very new or expedited turn-around time, or we offer the academic book is written in such a way that emerging field or if it is on a topic so broad author an advance contract. it has a paperback audience, it will be that a single author would be unlikely to be released in paperback eventually, and maybe able to cover it, we’d be more inclined to What is your approach to on-line even made available as an e-book if that is consider a collected work. Ironically, looking availability? cost effective. The optimal choice for the toward a future of increased re-purposing initial printing remains hardback. and re-packaging of content, we have Experiments with simultaneous online and considered that eventually edited volumes print publication at other university presses To conclude, scholarly publishing’s balancing might actually become more attractive in the suggest that, in certain case, an online act between its intellectual mission and its long run than monographic works, but that edition may actually stimulate sales of the financial obligations seems unlikely to abate has not yet encouraged us to accept more print edition, but we have very little first- any time soon. Because of this, authors in collections. hand experience with online publishing. Latin American studies should give greater consideration to the sorts of books they are How important is prospective course What are some of the key issues on the writing, and develop relationships with adoption for determining whether a horizon that will affect the future directions editors to create books that are at once manuscript is accepted for publication? of scholarly publication in our field? important to the field and also generate How do you make decisions about cloth or enough revenue to recoup the publisher’s paperback release of your books? The open access movement is one of the costs in a timely fashion. most significant new developments everyone We almost always consider course adoption is watching for the moment, and, of course, potential when we are doing a preliminary emerging technology is a constant blip on all evaluation, but that is not a make-or-break our radar screens. Another interesting issue for acceptance. Our basic business dynamic is the repositioning of academic model for scholarly works has moved away libraries as publishers or publishing partners. from a list with many simultaneous cloth/paper editions toward initial publication in cloth only, followed by either a traditional offset paperback or a print-on- demand paperback within a year or less. This means that almost every book can be considered for classroom adoption, even if the classes are very small and/or aren’t taught every year. Occasionally, there are still
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ON THE PROFESSION
LACEA, The Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association
by MAURICIO CARDENAS | Latin America Initiative, The Brookings Institution | [email protected] and MARCELA ESLAVA | Universidad de los Andes | [email protected]
Editor’s note: The Summer issue of the The Latin American and Caribbean Since 2000, LACEA has been publishing its Forum included a section devoted to the Economic Association was founded in July own journal, Economia, that has recently activities of a number of professional 1992 to encourage greater professional released its fourteenth issue. Modeled after associations that serve Latin Americanists interaction and foster increased dialogue the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity around the world. For the most part these among researchers and practitioners whose and published by the Brookings Press, focus on sub-regions of the Americas, or work focuses on the economies of Latin Economia is a policy journal, that is, one in draw on experts on the region from different America and the Caribbean (LAC). Since its which new theories or techniques are applied parts of the world. Another sort of inception, LACEA has grown to an to policy questions. The journal seeks professional association is discipline-based, organization with an annual average of 800 papers on issues that are both at the and we are pleased to present here two active members. Besides organizing activities forefront of the policy agenda and of broad examples: the Latin American and of interest for economists in general, LACEA interest to countries throughout Latin Caribbean Economics Association (LACEA) sponsors four specialized research networks: America and the Caribbean. Economia aims and the Conference of Latin Americanist the Network on Inequality and Poverty for the highest standards of theoretical and Geographers, both of which are described in (NIP); the Political Economy Group (PEG); statistical rigor, but only publishes papers this section in brief accounts by their the Regional Integration Network (RIN); that are written in a style and language that officers. and the Workshop on International make them accessible to policymakers. Economics and Finance. Information about LACEA’s history, bylaws, and activities can LACEA also provides other services to its be found at www.lacea.org. members. All LACEA members currently have access to JSTOR’s Economic and Every year, LACEA and its associated Business Collection. They also receive networks organize meetings attended by LACEA’s monthly Newsletter, featuring job economists and social scientists with an postings, calls for papers, and other interest in LAC. Starting from 1996, the announcements of interest to our Association has held annual meetings in membership. In 2008 LACEA organized a Mexico City (2), Bogotá (2), Buenos Aires, short course on Applied Microeconometric Santiago, Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, and Panel Data techniques, as part of a Madrid, Puebla, San José Costa Rica and broader reaching training program Paris. These meetings have been joint with sponsored by the Global Development the Latin American Chapter of the Network. Econometric Society since 2006. The 2007 Annual Meeting was held at the Universidad In sum, the Association is already playing de Los Andes in Bogotá. That meeting a leading role in the Economics profession gathered close to 800 participants; the in the region. Its annual meetings are program featured over 300 contributed considered world class in terms of size and papers and several invited sessions and quality. Also, LACEA is considered one of lectures by recognized economists. Besides the most active regional partners of the the Annual Meeting of LACEA, each of the Global development Network, an associated networks organizes regular international organization based in Delhi, meetings focusing on the specific areas of India. interest. The programs of these meetings feature a few papers chosen, through competitive processes, from a pool of submitted documents. These meetings allow lengthy and detailed discussion of each of the papers presented, contributing to the quality of research by LACEA members.
14 ON THE PROFESSION
The Conference of Latin Americanist Geographers by DAVID J. ROBINSON | Executive Director | Conference of Latin Americanist Geographers
In 1963, the Association of American number between 200 and 300. Each of the Printed and electronic publications include Geographers (AAG) inaugurated a 13 members of the Board serves three years. the annual peer-reviewed Yearbooks, (1970- Committee on Latin American Geography A rotation policy brings new members to the 2001), now replaced by the two-issue a year to encourage interaction among these Board each year and retires members who Journal of Latin American Geography, regional specialists. To further this effort, a have completed their terms. Officers of the Special Publications, Occasional group of geographers attending the IX Board are a Chair, a Vice-Chair, and an Publications, Instructional Media, and the General Assembly of the Pan American Executive Director who may be assisted in CLAG Newsletter. CLAG also maintains Institute of Geography and History met on their duties by appointed staff. Committees its own listserv. Further details of the June 5, 1969, at the Cosmos Club in of the Board are appointed by the Chair to organization are available at its website Washington, D.C. at the invitation of undertake organization business; they
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DEBATES Associate Editor’s Report por ANTONIO SÉRGIO A. GUIMARÃES | Universidade de São Paulo | [email protected]
A seção Debates deste LASA Forum é É justamente sobre as políticas públicas e a nutrem a agenda das mulheres no mundo dedicada à discussão das mais antigas agenda política dos novos governos rural mexicano, numa situação em que seus formas de desigualdades naturalizadas pelas democráticos da América Latina que se volta homens se ausentam regularmente em busca sociedades humanas: aquelas derivadas do a discussão de Cristina Ewig, partindo da de emprego nos Estados Unidos. Estariam sexo. Convidamos cinco cientistas sociais constatação metodológica de que a estas mulheres em melhores condições para para a tarefa. reprodução das desigualdades de gênero exercerem sua liberdade individual, estão imbricadas nas políticas sociais dos desconstruindo papéis de gênero e Laís Abramo e María Elena Valenzuela governos e que estão também intrincadas representações milenares do sexo, que as abrem a seção apresentando o panorama com as desigualdades raciais e de classe. Sua mantém em posições de subalternidade atual das desigualdades de oportunidades e análise concentra-se especificamente sobre a social? Como a crise e a desagregação do de situação de homens e mulheres nos política de saúde e suas conseqüências para a mundo rural mexicano são vividas por suas mercados de trabalho latino-americanos. reprodução das desigualdades de gênero. A agentes em termos das relações sociais de O quadro que apresentam é animador em análise de Ewig deve ser lida com atenção sexo? A análise de Árias, ainda que limitada alguns aspectos e preocupante, em outros. pois desvenda a relativa desmobilização a um território geográfico nacional e à esfera feminista no continente, tanto pelas reformas da vida rural, é o contraponto necessário Por um lado, aumentou bastante a inserção e neo-liberais, quanto pelos novos governos de para avaliarmos como as políticas públicas, permanência das mulheres nos mercados de esquerda, com as raríssimas exceções—o que discutíamos acima, são importantes na trabalho da região: aumentam as taxas de governo Bachelet, principalmente. Quando remodelação e reconfiguração dos participação e as taxas de ocupação os políticos e tecnocratas partem do suposto constrangimentos estruturais que definem e feminina, a escolaridade das mulheres de que suas políticas são neutras em relação redefinem as relações sociais. Isso em duplo aumenta em ritmo superior a dos homens. às desigualdades naturalizadas pelas relações sentido: tanto aquelas que destoem relações Ou seja, a brecha de participação e sociais existentes, temos aí um bom começo tradicionais, quanto aquelas que estabelecem ocupação por sexo diminui nas últimas três para a sua invisibilidade e reprodução. os parâmetros da modernidade. décadas. Mas, por outro lado, as condições de inserção e permanência das mulheres Obviamente, como discutimos aqui mesmo Este número de Debates se fecha de modo continuam muito precárias. O trabalho no LASA Fórum do Inverno 2008, é sempre ainda mais desafiador ao se interrogar, como informal e mal remunerado continua a possível argumentar que destacar tais o faz Amy Lind, sobre a estranheza da incidir pesadamente sobre as mulheres e o marcadores diacríticos (sexo e cor, por sexualidade humana (queerness), em teoria e emprego doméstico remunerado, ainda que exemplo) em políticas públicas é perpetuá- em prática política, num país que passa por comece a gozar crescentemente de proteção los na sociedade. Mas essa é uma meia- reformas democratizantes que se querem trabalhista, permanece sendo a forma verdade, como a discussão de Ewig deixa radicalmente populares e libertárias. Lind se principal de inclusão das mulheres indígenas claro. Destacando tais marcadores podemos interroga sobre a agenda queer, tal como se e afrodescendentes. Ou seja, cristalizam-se controlar politicamente a sua reprodução e encontra na arena política equatoriana hoje, formas de opressão por sexo e raça que, se eventualmente conseguir trazer tais em meio a campanha para mudança não forem combatidas, tendem a perpetuar a desigualdades para patamares mínimos, o constitucional. Como conviverão naturalização da opressão feminina. que nossos instrumentos técnicos e teóricos constrangimentos à liberdade sexual permitem. Ou seja, podemos fazer de uso de individual e ao exercício da igualdade de A agenda da Organização Internacional do medidas quantitativas e avaliações direitos nas novas revoluções sociais Trabalho de promoção da igualdade de qualitativas que influem diretamente seja na pacíficas, como se quer o Equador de Rafael gênero através do “trabalho decente”, esfera ideológica, seja na base material de Correa? Mas, o suposto é que aos poucos a apresentado pelas autoras, deve servir de distribuição de recursos. Mas, não os agenda das ciências sociais latino-americanas parâmetro para os programas sociais e as destacando estamos ampliando a sua estão sendo fertilizadas pela teoria queer, políticas públicas latino-americanas, de reprodução e ajudando-os a se consolidarem como antes o fora pelo feminismo e pelos modo a constituir-se num patamar mínimo como a nossa própria natureza. “novos movimentos sociais”, pois nos obriga do estado democrático na região. a lançar um olhar novo sobre algo que Patrícia Árias, no terceiro artigo desta seção, supúnhamos natural. Como pode algo tão se dedica a discutir seis motivos pessoais que naturalizadamente irredutível como o sexo
16 se dividir em diferentes formas de judeus resistiram com sucesso, ainda que de “cor”, isto é, na raça atribuída, uma sexualidade socialmente aceitas? forma muitas vezes trágica, ao processo de especificidade negativamente valorizada pela racialização que lhes quiseram impor— formação nacional. Não se trata, portanto, *** a religião, e a cultura desenvolvida à sua de negar o papel da especificidade cultural margem, lhes serviram de cimento na formação racial dos negros. Trata-se, isso Gostaria de finalizar esta introdução identitário. Não há duplicidade de sim, de salientar o fato de que a principal refletindo sobre a construção social de tal consciência, no caso dos judeus, pois a referência identitária de outros povos irredutibilidade. Ou melhor, sobre uma pluralidade de suas identidades sociais diaspóricos gravitou sempre em torno de instância muito particular de tal assemelha-se àquela das variações admitidas símbolos culturais, oferecidos pela nação ou irredutibilidade, a partir do único pelo estado-nação republicano e religião de origem, enquanto que, no caso os conhecimento empírico sistemático que democrático: são portadores de negros, tal referência nunca foi tão forte tenho. Posso colocar a questão assim: especificidade religiosas e culturais, tal como quanto a raça, o principal marcador porque os negros brasileiros são negros? outros coletivos são portadores de diacrítico da identidade coletiva. subculturas regionais, étnicas ou religiosas. Diferentemente de outros povos formados No Brasil, continua sendo um brasileiro Houve tentativas no sentido de que a em diáspora ou oriundos de imigração, os comum tal como o protestante, o evangélico nacionalidade e não a raça marcasse milhões de africanos trazidos escravizados ou o espírita, ao lado do católico. prioritariamente a identidade negra nas para as Américas e seus descendentes não se Américas. Identidades nacionais constituíram enquanto etnias em seus novos Como os negros, também os descendentes consolidadas entre os anos 1920 a 1950, no habitats, mas sim enquanto raça. O mesmo dos japoneses que imigraram para as Caribe e na América do Sul, são provas pode ser dito para aqueles que, séculos Américas continuam, de certo modo, a se cabais destas tentativas. As nações depois, imigraram livremente das jovens diferenciar fenotipicamente dos demais caribenhas e latino-americanas, em sua nações africanas em busca de trabalho no americanos e brasileiros a depender de seu maioria, forjaram para si uma nova Ocidente. Os africanos de ontem e de hoje grau de miscigenação. No entanto, eles identidade supra-racial, desvencilhando-se foram e são geralmente definidos também resistiram com relativo sucesso à do estigma da mestiçagem e, mais que isto, negativamente (por outros) ou positivamente racialização, atendo-se à referência nacional transformando tal estigma em carisma, ou (por si próprios) por características de sua origem, muito mais forte que a seja, em marcador diacrítico positivo. fisionômicas e fenotípicas e não pela cultura designação de raça amarela que se lhes quis Quando isso aconteceu, os negros foram ou nacionalidade de origem. Nas Américas, impor a imaginação racista. Assim, ao invés instados a afastar-se cultural e mesmo no Brasil, onde traços das culturas de amarelos, foram e continuam sendo sentimentalmente do continente de origem que trouxeram da África marcaram japoneses, chineses, coreanos ou indianos, para tornarem-se cem por cento nacionais profundamente a cultura popular e em qualquer país da Europa ou da América. dos novos estados americanos. Apenas os fundiram-se à cultura nacional e regionais, As variações, ainda que dignas de nota, não países americanos podiam ser suas nações. apenas a mobilização pela raça lhes permitiu vêm ao caso. Por exemplo: são “japoneses” Guerreiro Ramos notou com acuidade, assim avançar reivindicações de direitos civis. Para ou “japa”, no Brasil, e nipo-americanos, nos como outros de sua geração, que eram eles, os negros, como muito bem salientou Estados Unidos. os negros, os verdadeiros brasileiros. Ou DuBois, a dupla consciência de raça e de seja, aqueles que não poderiam reivindicar nacionalidade foi e continua sendo condição É bem verdade que a cultura e a religião, no nenhuma outra nacionalidade ou cultura, os para integração social e política. caso dos negros, serviram de núcleo a partir que não podem ter outra identidade nacional do qual a identidade racial pode desenvolver- que a de brasileiros: “negro é o povo Este único fato marca a grande diferença se e solidificar-se. Costumes alimentares e de brasileiro”, dizia Guerreiro. No entanto, a entre os negros e outros povos formados em lazer, como o samba e a feijoada crioulizada força dos estereótipos raciais que os diáspora, como os judeus, por exemplo, que por cozinheiras negras, ou religiosos, como identifica como negros, como se a cor fosse se cristalizaram, ao contrário, enquanto a devoção a certos santos, o candomblé, algo intransponível, atribuída pela definição- minoria étnica ou religiosa, ao lado de xangô ou batuque, serviram de esteio para pelos-outros, sempre prevaleceu sobre a outras minorias nos estados-nações agrupar mais duradouramente pessoas muito definição nacional feita-por-si. europeus, surgidos na idade moderna. Os socialmente diversas, mas que tinham na
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O processo de mestiçagem foi, até certo vivem os negros brasileiros hoje, quando brancos, sabiam-se mestiços claros, no que ponto, bem sucedido, se tomarmos como instados pelos arautos da mestiçagem e da toca às conseqüências da discriminação parâmetro o fato de que boa parte dos ciência genética pós-racial a procederem provocada pela cor, os negros eram pobres, mestiços se desvencilhou de referências segundo normas universalistas e republicanas explorados e sem direitos—raciocinavam os culturais africanas ou indígenas, chegando de cidadania, renegando qualquer política socialistas negros—tal como todos os mesmo os mestiços claros a assimilar-se pública que lhes beneficiem enquanto raça. trabalhadores sob o capitalismo imperialista. completamente ao mundo cultural e Ora, a única mobilização possível que Essa formação pela via da luta de classes e sentimental latino-americano de expressão unifica os negros—ou seja, os que são pela arregimentação socialista prevaleceu por européia. Digo “de expressão européia” tratados como negros—é através da noção bastante tempo no século XX nos meios porque esses mundos mestiços latino- de raça. Por isso mesmo a noção é re- negros brasileiros e contou com a simpatia e americanos conservaram os valores europeus trabalhada teoricamente pelos movimentos a solidariedade internacionais, não apenas como referentes últimos pelos quais se medir. sociais para lhe retirar qualquer ranço dos comunistas europeus, mas dos O que restou de “cultura africana” ou racista (que pregue a superioridade racial). comunistas negros norte-americanos e indígena foi gradualmente absorvido pelas De raça-definida-pelos-outros, latinos. culturas nacionais. Mas tal sucesso teve seus negativamente, a partir da generalização limites, exatamente, no sentimento de pars pro toto de deficiências morais, Difícil explicar, diante da história das idéias inferioridade mestiço, no preconceito de cor biológicas ou sociais, para raça-definida-por- que germinaram nos meios negros e na ampliação das desigualdades sociais si, generalizando carismas com marcadores brasileiros, porque essa vocação universalista entre negros e brancos daí decorrentes. De culturais e históricos. cedeu lugar à mobilização mais nitidamente modo que a raça continuou sendo um racial e mesmo étnico-racial dos últimos referencial importante, seja para o complexo A meta de negação de qualquer anos. Mas há que se lembrar que fenômeno de inferioridade, o preconceito e a especificidade racial e cultural, definindo-se análogo trespassou todo o mundo ocidental discriminação, seja para a construção de como cem por cento brasileiros, mostrou-se a partir dos anos 1970, dando espaço à identidades raciais de combate e de idealista e impossível de ser cumprida, até formação do que os sociólogos vieram a afirmação social e cultural dos que não mesmo por que os brasileiros, em sua batizar como “novos movimentos sociais”. puderam ser plenamente absorvidos pelo maioria, não querem ser negros. Somos O movimento feminista, o movimento gay, o projeto de mestiçagem e contra ele se brasileiros, mas não deixamos de ser movimento de bairros, até mesmo o novo insurgiram. Exemplos, no Brasil, desses baianos, paulistas, homens e mulheres, ricos sindicalismo brasileiro, ainda que inspirados movimentos raciais positivos de contestação e pobres, negros e brancos, católicos, pela herança universalista marxista, foram, foram a Frente Negra Brasileira (anos 1930), evangélicos etc. (identidades regionais, pouco a pouco, desenvolvendo identidades e o Teatro Experimental do Negro (anos sexuais, de classe, raciais e religiosas). Se ideais mais delimitados em torno do gênero, 1950), o Movimento Negro Unificado (anos assim é, como mobilizar-se politicamente da preferência sexual, dos problemas locais e 1980), entre tantos outros de menor contra a discriminação racial sem mobilizar- propriamente sindicais. repercussão sobre a vida política nacional. se em raça? De fato, alternativas existem para outros povos discriminados: podem-se No caso dos negros, vale lembrar também Raça e cor, e não nações, foram referências mobilizar como judeus, como japoneses, que, como já salientamos, a raça (através da para tais movimentos. As antigas nações como sírio-libaneses, formando clubes, cor) foi sempre um marcador primordial africanas da época do tráfico negreiro foram associações, etc.; o mesmo se aplica às para o destino pessoal de qualquer negro no abandonadas e persistiram apenas como mulheres, aos homossexuais, aos deficientes Brasil. Assim, a ascensão social, o denominações coloniais ou como físicos, aos indígenas e a outros. aburguesamento, o sucesso pessoal, a instrumentos de genealogia cultural. Nunca celebridade, o cultivo pessoal da alta cultura houve, portanto, uma referência nacional Alguns intelectuais dos anos 1940 e 1950 européia como forma de expressão, nada moderna africana que servisse de abraçaram o socialismo para manter-se evitou—nunca—que um negro fosse um contraponto à estereotipização racial. coerentes com o universalismo e o negro. hipernacionalismo que se pediam aos negros. O que acabo de salientar é muito importante Na verdade, se por formação nacional, os para compreendermos o dilema em que brasileiros eram negros e mestiços e, quando
18 DEBATES
Does the debates section have a title this time?
Igualdad de género y mercado de trabajo en tensiones entre el trabajo y la familia, que disposición de incorporación de las mujeres América Latina afecta en forma desproporcionada a las al mercado de trabajo, de la cual depende, mujeres. Con una jornada promedio de cada vez más, cualquier posibilidad de por LAÍS ABRAMO trabajo remunerado de 40 horas semanales, autonomía económica, aun en un contexto Directora de la Oficina de la Organización las mujeres siguen desempeñando la mayor marcado, como lo fue la década de 90, por Internacional del Trabajo en Brasil parte de las tareas domésticas. Además, una un aumento de las tasas de desempleo más [email protected] proporción creciente de ellas se inserta al acentuado entre las mujeres. Aunque mercado de trabajo a través de contratos y persisten fuertes diferencias entre los niveles y MARÍA ELENA VALENZUELA formas de trabajo “atípicos”, en los cuales de participación laboral de las mujeres según Especialista Regional en Género para América Latina de la Organización las jornadas son con frecuencia extensas, los estratos de ingreso de los hogares de que Internacional del Trabajo intensas e irregulares, y que están en su gran provienen, siendo un hecho conocido que [email protected] mayoría excluidas de cualquier tipo de éstos son bastante inferiores entre las más protección social, incluyendo la protección a pobres y con menos escolaridad, es en ese Después de más de tres décadas de la maternidad y otras medidas de estrato que las tasas de participación laboral crecimiento sostenido de la participación conciliación entre el trabajo y familia, como se han incrementado más acentuadamente. laboral femenina y de sus niveles de por ejemplo la provisión de salas cunas y Como resultado, se ha reducido tanto la escolaridad en América Latina, aun persisten guarderías infantiles. brecha de participación de las mujeres con serios obstáculos a una inserción y respecto a los hombres, como la brecha de permanencia de las mujeres en el mercado de Es un contexto también en que las economías participación de las más pobres con respecto trabajo en igualdad de condiciones con de la región, a pesar del crecimiento que se a los niveles promedio de participación respecto a los hombres. En el contexto de la ha registrado en los último años, siguen femenina. Sin embargo, una gran proporción globalización económica y de la caracterizándose en general por una baja de mujeres de 15 años y más no dispone de transformación en los paradigmas capacidad de generación de empleo, en ingresos propios: 45% en las zonas urbanas tecnológicos y productivos—en los cuales especial de empleo de calidad, o de trabajo (para los hombres esa proporción es de 22%) algunas de las tradicionales barreras de decente. Este es definido, por la y 59% en las zonas rurales. También han entrada de las mujeres al mercado de trabajo Organización Internacional del Trabajo aumentado las oportunidades de empleo de o a ciertas funciones y ocupaciones (OIT), como un trabajo productivo, las latinoamericanas, en una proporción desaparecen o se desvanecen—algunos de adecuadamente remunerado, ejercido en mayor que las de los hombres: su tasa de estos obstáculos han disminuido, pero otros condiciones de libertad, seguridad y equidad ocupación entre 1990 y 2000 creció a un se han reproducido e incluso incrementado. y capaz de garantir una vida digna a todas 4,4% al año, mientras la de los hombres las personas que buscan un trabajo. En 2006 creció 2,9%, lo que significó una Ese contexto también está marcado por una la OIT calculó que el déficit de trabajo disminución de la brecha de ocupación entre crisis del modelo tradicional en torno al cual decente en América Latina afectaba a 126 hombres y mujeres. Esa tendencia persiste en se organizó el trabajo productivo y millones de personas, o sea, a 53% de su los años 2000. En Brasil, por ejemplo, la reproductivo, caracterizado por la definición Población Económicamente Activa (PEA). brecha entre las tasa de ocupación de dicotómica y jerarquizada de roles del hombres y mujeres, aunque siga siendo hombre como proveedor y de la mujer como elevada, se redujo de 33 puntos de por ciento cuidadora, o, como máximo, como una Principales tendencias de evolución del en 1992 a 24 puntos de por ciento en 2006. “fuerza de trabajo secundaria”. El aumento empleo femenino en América Latina de la participación laboral de las mujeres Sin embargo, el aumento de la tasa de (más acentuado justamente entre aquellas que Las mujeres representan, en la actualidad, ocupación no fue suficiente para absorber la están en edad reproductiva) y del número de más del 40% de la PEA urbana de la región. mayor oferta de trabajo de las mujeres, o sea, hogares en que ambos padres trabajan o que Sus tasas de participación se han su mayor posibilidad y necesidad de trabajar. están a cargo de mujeres (estos últimos incrementado notablemente en la última La tasa de desempleo abierto de las mujeres corresponden a aproximadamente al 30% en década y media: han aumentado de 34% en en América Latina en 2006 era de 13,3%, las zonas urbanas de América Latina) ha 1990 a 53% en 2006. Ese es un indicador significativamente superior a la de los producido un aumento significativo de las muy importante, asociado a la voluntad y hombres (9,3%). Al contrario de lo ocurrido
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con relación a los indicadores anteriormente acceder a un empleo formal (en el cual son La promoción de la igualdad de género en la analizados, la brecha de desempleo por sexo mayores sus probabilidades de contar con Agenda del Trabajo Decente aumentó en los últimos años, caracterizados protección social). Sin embargo, al analizar por la recuperación económica. la relación entre los niveles de escolaridad de América Latina es el continente que se hombres y mujeres y sus respectivas caracteriza por ser el más desigual del También persisten importantes problemas en posibilidades y condiciones de inserción mundo. Las desigualdades de género, junto a la calidad de la inserción laboral de las laboral, se evidencian fuertes desigualdades. las desigualdades en la distribución de la mujeres: la incidencia de las ocupaciones Los mayores niveles de instrucción no les riqueza y las discriminaciones que sufren los informales en el total del empleo femenino es garantizan más y mejores oportunidades de afrodescendientes y los pueblos orginarios, superior a la registrada para los hombres y el empleo en relación con los hombres. Ellas son ejes estructurantes de la matriz de la servicio doméstico sigue absorbiendo un necesitan de credenciales educativas exclusión social en la región y se potencian porcentaje bastante grande de la ocupación significativamente superiores para acceder a entre sí. La promoción de la igualdad de femenina en la región: 17% en 2006. El las mismas oportunidades de empleo que género, a su vez, es un elemento central de la servicio doméstico es el segmento del empleo ellos: en promedio cuatro años más para Agenda de Trabajo Decente de la OIT. No que cuenta con los niveles más bajos de obtener la misma remuneración; y dos años será posible superar el significativo déficit de remuneración y protección social, y aunque adicionales para tener las mismas trabajo decente que caracteriza a la región, en los últimos años se han introducido en la oportunidades de acceder a un empleo sin avanzar, al mismo tiempo, en la mayoría de los países de la región una serie formal. superación de la desigualdad de género y de de reformas legales para equiparar sus los deficits de trabajo decente para las derechos, todavía se rigen por un régimen Por otro lado, los mecanismos de mujeres, tanto con relación a las dimensiones jurídico especial, que reconoce a las/os segmentación ocupacional que confinan a la cuantitativa y cualitativa del empleo, como trabajadores/as domesticas/os menos gran mayoría de las mujeres a los segmentos con relación a las dimensiones de los derechos que al conjunto de los/as menos valorizados del mercado de trabajo derechos en el trabajo, de la protección social asalariados/as. Un alto porcentaje de las siguen existiendo y reproduciéndose. y del diálogo social. mujeres ocupadas en el servicio doméstico en Mientras el 45% de los hombres está América Latina son indígenas o ocupado en el sector servicios, para las La Agenda Hemisférica del Trabajo Decente, afrodescendientes, y en algunos países, mujeres esa proporción llega a 75%. documento presentado por el Director también migrantes. Muchas de ellas General de la OIT a la XVI Reunión enfrentan situaciones de doble o triple Las brechas de ingresos, a su vez, expresan la Regional Americana de la Organización, discriminación. También sigue siendo alta la desigual valoración económica y social de las realizada en Brasília en mayo de 2006, y que incidencia del trabajo infantil doméstico. tareas de hombres y mujeres y siguen siendo fue apoyada por los representantes tripartitos uno de los indicadores más importantes de (gobiernos, empleadores y trabajadores) de La escolaridad de las mujeres se ha las desigualdades de género. En América 23 países de la región, que se incrementado a un ritmo superior a la de los Latina, aunque se observa una disminución comprometieron en la ocasión con una hombres (las ocupadas tienen en promedio de esa desigualdad, ella sigue situándose en década de promoción del trabajo decente, un año más de escolaridad que los hombres) un nivel muy elevado: la proporción de los establece algunas metas a ser alcanzadas y ha crecido significativamente el número de ingresos femeninos con relación a los hasta 2015, plazo también definido para los mujeres en las ocupaciones profesionales y masculinos se eleva de un 61% en 1990 a un Objetivos del Desarrollo del Milenio técnicas, alcanzando una proporción de más 70% en 2006. Sin embargo, la brecha es (ODMs). Con relación a la promoción de la de 50% en algunos países de la región. Este más acentuada en los tramos superiores de igualdad de género, esas metas son: elevar en es sin duda un factor importante para escolaridad. En Brasil, por ejemplo, mientras un 10% las tasas de participación y mejorar las posibilidades y las condiciones de en promedio las mujeres recibían, en 2006, el ocupación de las mujeres y disminuir, en un incorporación de las mujeres al mercado de 71% de los ingresos masculinos, esa cifra 50%, las brechas de informalidad y de trabajo. En la medida en que aumentan sus disminuía a aproximadamente el 50% entre ingresos. Para alcanzar esos objetivos, la niveles educativos, se incrementan los/as que tenían 15 años y más de estudio. Agenda Hemisférica de Trabajo Decente significativamente sus tasas de participación, En México se observa una situación similar. propone algunas estrategias y líneas de sus ingresos promedio y sus posibilidades de acción.
20 Propone, en primer lugar, avanzar en la a nuevos nichos del mercado de trabajo y a social e integren a hombres y mujeres, aplicación efectiva del principio de la no ocupaciones no tradicionales; programas garantizando el cumplimiento de la discriminación a través del fortalecimiento de para ampliar el acceso de las mujeres a los protección a la maternidad y extendiendo los marcos legales y del desarrollo de planes recursos productivos (información, este derecho a trabajadoras informales, nacionales (incluyendo políticas de acción tecnología, crédito) y promover el desarrollo garantizando y ampliando las licencias de afirmativa) para enfrentar el problema de la empresarial de las mujeres; mejoría de las paternidad y parentales, ampliando la desigualdad y discriminación de la mujer en condiciones de trabajo y eliminación de la cobertura de salas cunas y guarderías el empleo. Eso incluye la promoción de la discriminación contra las trabajadoras infantiles para hijos e hijas de mujeres y ratificación y de la efectiva implementación domésticas (revisión de la legislación a fin de hombres trabajadores (tanto formales como de los convenios de la OIT relativos a la lograr el pleno ejercicio de sus derechos informales), promoviendo el desarrollo de igualdad de género y a la protección de los laborales, aumento de la cobertura de la programas voluntarios en las empresas y la derechos de las mujeres trabajadoras, entre protección social, incentivo a su inclusión de cláusulas en la negociación los cuales se destacan los siguientes: los organización, etc.). colectiva que faciliten la compatibilización de convenios n. 100, 1951, Igualdad de horarios y responsabilidades laborales y remuneración para trabajo de igual valor y n. En cuarto lugar, reducir las desigualdades de familiares y en general, políticas para lograr 111, 1958, No discriminación (empleo y remuneración a través del monitoreo de su mejor calidad de vida familiar y personal y ocupación), definidos como fundamentales evolución, la implementación de programas lugares de trabajo mas igualitarios y por la Declaración de los Derechos y que actúen sobre la segregación ocupacional, productivos. Principios Fundamentales en el Trabajo, la aplicación de métodos de evaluación de los adoptada por la OIT en 1998; los convenios puestos de trabajo sin sesgos sexistas (en base En séptimo lugar, promover la incorporación n. 103, 1952, y 183, 2000, de protección a la a las calificaciones, el esfuerzo, las de mujeres en los sectores más dinámicos y maternidad y el convenio n. 156, 1981, responsabilidades y las condiciones de con mayor potencial de crecimiento en la relativo a los trabajadores con trabajo) y la elaboración de metodologías economía global, en las áreas vinculadas al responsabilidades familiares. para implementar políticas de igual desarrollo de tecnologías de punta y a los remuneración para trabajo de igual valor, y la nuevos sistemas de información y En segundo lugar, promover el aumento de inclusión de cláusulas en la negociación comunicación, a través de políticas las tasas de participación y ocupación de las colectiva para hacer más transparentes la educacionales que rompan con los mujeres, garantizando su acceso a las contratación y la promoción de las mujeres. estereotipos tradicionales y promuevan el políticas activas de mercado de trabajo acceso de las mujeres a la ciencia y la (formación, intermediación, planes especiales En quinto lugar, promover el equilibrio entre tecnología. de empleo) en proporción no inferior a su hombres y mujeres en las organizaciones peso en la fuerza de trabajo, estableciendo sociales e instancias de diálogo a través del En síntesis, la región no solo está mecanismos que aseguren que las mujeres no desarrollo de programas para promover la experimentando un cambio de los sean discriminadas en los procesos de representación equilibrada de mujeres paradigmas productivos, sino también selección y contratación, promoviendo los trabajadoras y empleadoras (incluyendo sociodemográficos que han modificado las derechos de las trabajadoras a través de la formación de líderes y negociadoras y fronteras entre el trabajo productivo y negociación colectiva e incluyendo medidas establecimiento de cuotas), la incorporación reproductivo e involucran necesidades a las específicas dirigidas a las mujeres en los de demandas de género en las agendas de las que sólo el Estado puede responder. La programas de empleo juvenil. organizaciones de trabajadores y empleadores promoción del trabajo decente y la igualdad y en los convenios y negociaciones colectivas. de género como eje transversal de esa En tercer lugar, promover la mejoría de la estrategia constituyen importantes pilares calidad de los puestos de trabajo de las En sexto lugar, avanzar hacia la frente al gran desafío de la región para mujeres en la economía informal. Esa compatibilidad de la vida laboral con la vida avanzar hacia una mayor justicia e inclusión estrategia se desdobla en las siguientes líneas familiar y personal a través de nuevos marcos social. de acción: diseño e implementación de legales y políticas de conciliación y co- políticas de formación dirigidas a las mujeres responsabilidad que consideren la dimensión con baja escolaridad para aumentar su acceso reproductiva como una responsabilidad
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Inequality and Latin American Welfare women’s rights. These examples also populations, health policy captures how one Regimes: Why Gender Ought to Be at the indicate that many of today’s gender social policy sector impacts the entire Top of Political Agendas inequalities are embedded in social policies, national population (whereas pensions, for be it reproductive rights legislation, poverty example, serve only formal sector workers— by CHRISTINA EWIG alleviation strategies or pension policies. a small slice of the population). University of Wisconsin – Madison More attention is needed to determine how Segmentation within the health sector reveals [email protected] the social policies that constitute Latin how welfare regimes, as the renowned America’s welfare regimes alleviate or European welfare scholar, Gøsta Esping- With the recent “Left turn” in Latin aggravate gender inequalities, and what can Anderson (1990) first observed, can also America, inequality has re-emerged on many be done to improve these policies so that stratify—along gender and race, as well as national agendas with an urgency not seen they promote greater gender equity. class divides. Latin America’s public health since prior to the regional economic crisis of systems serve the poor and in those countries the 1980s. Most nations have prioritized Research on gender equity and social policy where women or women heads of household economic inequality, which is in Latin America needs both long-term and are concentrated among the poor, these understandable given that Latin America is short- term perspectives, and sector-specific systems also serve a majority female the most unequal region of the world in and overarching “regime type” analyses. constituency. It is also in these public terms of income. In several countries, This research needs to look beyond (though systems where indigenous and Afro-descent notably Bolivia and Brazil, racial inequality not lose sight of!) the reproductive health populations are concentrated. By contrast, is also an area of active discussion (on Brazil, arena which at times becomes the focus of social security and private health systems in see the Winter 2008 issue of LASA Forum). gender and social policy. Most of all, such Latin America largely serve middle and Gender inequality has not been a top agenda research needs to take an “intersectional” upper-class, mestizo and “whiter” item, however, and some Left governments approach—an approach that is attentive to constituencies. Comparing these systems, have even worked against gender equality. how the inequalities of gender, race and class their resources, and their quality (in which The abolition of therapeutic abortion by the interact, resulting in distinct effects of the public health systems consistently fall to the current Sandinista government in Nicaragua same social policy on different groups of bottom), allows one to see how the indicates the regressive stance of this people. segmentation of health systems in Latin government on gender issues, for example. America is grounded in gender and race as Despite other positive aspects of this My own approach is sector-specific; I well as in class inequality, and serves to program, the Venezuelan government’s analyze one sector of Latin American welfare reinforce these inequalities. reliance on the unpaid labor of poor women regimes, health care policy, with special for the success of its neighborhood attention to the gendered political dynamics An historical view of the emergence of these “Misiones” that deliver state social benefits and effects of the neoliberal retrenchment of separate systems offers even greater depth of smacks of the instrumental use of women’s the 1990s. Health policy (as Briggs and understanding how gender, race and class voluntary labor. The government of Michele Martini Briggs pointed out in the Spring interact to determine access to health care. Bachelet stands apart for its pro-active stand 2008 LASA Forum) offers a useful window Nancy Leys Stepan has documented how on gender equity, evidenced in Chile’s recent onto “big questions of the state, citizenship, public health systems were created in the late pension reforms that sought to correct and struggles centered on neoliberal policies 19th and early 20th centuries in a context in important inequities in women’s compared and their effects” (p. 17). It also offers a which the medical profession was heavily to men’s pension distributions. particularly useful site for analysis of gender influenced by Lamarckian eugenics (1991). inequality and its intersections with race and Latin America’s particular form of eugenics As these examples illustrate, gender class within the broader framework of the viewed public health systems, and within inequality remains a pressing issue in Latin Latin American welfare regime. these systems the molding of mothers, as America, despite advances such as gender central to nation-building and betterment. quotas for political office, the establishment Because the health sector in Latin America is Due in part to this history, public health of ministries of women meant to actively often composed of distinct systems (public systems in the region traditionally have redress gender inequalities, and agreements health, social security health and private prioritized mother-child health, and women to abide by international conventions on health systems) which serve different and children have been the primary public
22 health system clients. By contrast, social market, and promoting health care “choice” private health insurance (Pollack 2002, Ewig security health care, created through a and efficiency. It was not about gender, or 2008). Similarly, private pension firms, process of conflict and cooptation between women. With the exception of recent using strict actuarial logic, provide women largely male unions and authoritarian and reforms in Ecuador and Chile, feminists also with lower monthly benefits because women semi-authoritarian governments, was a largely stayed out of these “mainstream” tend to take time out of the work force or masculine affair. The Colombian social health debates (Ecuador was most successful, work part time due to childrearing, earn less security system restricted health care in that “gender equity” was incorporated due to labor market discrimination, and live coverage for female dependents of male into the nation’s general health legislation; longer than men and thus accumulate fewer workers to obstetric coverage until 1993. In on feminists’ role in reforms in Chile, see funds that must be stretched over longer Peru, women workers in the social security Ewig 2008). In most countries, feminists time periods (Arenas de Mesa and system could not carry their spouses as focused on more obviously women-related Montecinos 1999, Bertranou 2001, Dion dependents until 1992. These facts belie the policies such as abortion or access to 2006). As a result, private pension schemes gendered assumptions behind these systems: contraception. The comparison of these leave older women more vulnerable to social security health systems were an contrasting policies and the dynamics of poverty. By contrast, the previous state-run essentially male privilege and the public gender in each reveals a lot about the politics systems did not differentiate benefits based health systems were feminized. of the health sector, and in turn, welfare on sex. regimes. In certain arenas related to Gender inequalities are also evidenced in biological reproduction or mothering, gender Likewise, the ostensibly gender-neutral move political debates over distinct health policies is an accepted category of analysis, while in toward decentralization has often shifted during the period of neoliberal retrenchment. other more “technical” domains gender state responsibilities to women, as in For example, discussions of family planning, analysis is considered frivolous or a Chavez’s Misiones, or in Peru’s Comités maternal mortality or infant health care distraction. This division reinforces the Locales de Administración en Salud (CLAS) regularly invoked policy discourses that misconceived notion that “gender = women” program. While my research on the CLAS underlined women’s contribution as mothers and “women = mothers” rather than in Peru reveals many positive aspects of to the family and the nation. Policy makers viewing gender as a set of power relations in community-based decentralization, it also have tended to view women’s wombs and society based on the perceived differences demonstrates how gendered assumptions mothering skills as essential for economic between the sexes—power relations that played into the execution of community- and national progress. Feminist activists play into all policy arenas. based decentralization policies. In urban have resisted this discourse, strategically areas, primarily women were recruited to invoking global conventions on women’s “Mainstream” neoliberal social policy serve on the CLAS committees in which they rights (like the CEDAW) to demand women’s reforms such as privatization, were asked to invest time and energy into autonomy as individuals and greater decentralization, and targeting that were overseeing the budget and daily reproductive rights. In these debates, implemented across health, pension and administration of local health care centers women and gender are central. education sectors in the region in the 1990s and enlist neighbors in vaccination and early 2000s do have significant campaigns. To policy makers, such work fits By contrast, in the “mainstream” health implications for gender inequality. In health into traditional notions of women’s care reform debates over privatization, care, privatization of health insurance in work responsibilities and is seen as an decentralization and targeting of the 1990s Chile led to discriminatory fee structures in “efficient” way to reduce local health care and early 2000s, policy makers told me in which women were charged more than men costs. Many policy makers assume these interviews that gender was inconsequential. due to the “risk” of pregnancy. Such women do this work out of a “natural” This response may have stemmed from a practices shift social responsibility for concern for family and community well- narrow understanding of gender as sex: reproduction onto individual women. This being, rooted in their identities as women, what in the world would privatization for is doubly discriminatory because women, when in fact many of the women I example have to do with sex, or issues due to gender discrimination and interviewed were hoping the work would be related to biological reproduction? To these segmentation in labor markets, earn less and a stepping stone to paid opportunities—a policy makers, such reforms were about thus are less likely to be able to afford the hope that rarely materialized. By reducing the role of the state, introducing the more expensive, but also higher quality, erroneously assuming that women’s work is
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“free” and their time unlimited, policy is the leading cause of death for women in these women are unable to participate in the makers fail to recognize the value of this that country. In such cases, a concern for CLAS reform described above, which work and the degree to which the informal efficiency creates gender inequities by not requires fluid communication with health labor of women sustains Latin American offering life-saving health care to some care professionals who rarely speak Quechua welfare regimes. Moreover, such policies women (poor women), and it also raises and often view indigenous people with reify unequal gender relations by asking serious questions of medical ethics. disdain. Similarly, when the package of women (not men) to contribute to benefits offered to the poor is smaller than community well-being under conditions in Moreover, targeting strategies may also that offered to the middle class (as in the which the value of that work is not reinforce gendered divisions of case of Colombia) or when private health recognized. responsibilities in a similar manner to the care is of higher quality than the public decentralization described above. Mexico’s system (as in most of Latin America) class Of course, my research is far from the first Oportunidades program offers cash mediates gender by affording middle class to recognize the ways in which welfare states assistance to mothers that keep their children women improved benefits compared to their in Latin America rely on women’s unpaid enrolled in school, who regularly bring their poor counterparts. work. Amy Lind (2005) shows how the use children to the local health center and who of women’s unpaid labor became part of attend monthly meetings at the health center While I use one sector as a window onto the Ecuador’s “logic of development.” A main on child and nutrition and health. In many changing dynamics of gender (in relationship contention of feminist scholars of structural ways Oportunidades is working to to race and class) in Latin American welfare adjustment was that economic adjustment ameliorate gender inequalities. For example, regimes, others have looked at multiple relied implicitly on women’s voluntary labor the program gives women, rather than men, policy sectors to paint broader pictures of for human survival in the “lost decade” of control over this new cash resource thus the gendered nature of national welfare the 1980s. In other words, the use of providing women with greater authority in regimes. The works of Karin Rosemblatt women’s unpaid labor is a recurring theme the household. It also provides extra (2000) and Christine Ehrick (2005) provide in Latin American social policy and is one incentives for girls to attend school, in order important insights into the gendered politics that further embeds gender inequalities by to reverse trends of girls’ early dropout rates. of, including women’s roles in, the founding simultaneously depending on and devaluing But the program also relies on traditional of early social security systems and poverty women’s contributions to social gendered assumptions that it is mothers’ policies in Chile and Uruguay. These reproduction. responsibility to ensure children succeed, by historical works provide clues as to the putting the onus on mothers (not fathers) to origins of the gendered discourses and “Targeting” was also a key strategy of attend lectures and ensure children’s health political arrangements that still shape neoliberal reforms. It refers to the practice and education in order to receive their welfare policies today. Jennifer Pribble of offering a carefully selected benefit or set monthly check (Molyneux 2006). (2006) compares the contemporary of benefits (usually chosen on the basis of Uruguayan and Chilean welfare regimes and cost-benefit analysis) to a specified Key to a full understanding of how social provides a much-needed comparative population—usually those most in need—as policies may either ameliorate or reproduce assessment of what constitutes a “gender- a way of ensuring that state monies are used inequalities is to take an intersectional friendly” welfare regime in Latin America. in the most efficient manner and reach the approach which recognizes how gender, race Finally, Juliana Martínez (2008) is perhaps most needy. On the surface, it makes sense and class work together to create inequality most ambitious; she develops a typology of to prioritize certain services, such as (McCall 2005, Hancock 2007). For Latin American welfare regimes that vaccinations, which have broad preventative example, in Peru, health reforms had consistently incorporates a gender analysis effects at low cost. But the narrow range of profoundly different effects on rural, through a focus on the family. services offered often misses critical elements indigenous women than they did on urban, essential to gender equity; the health package mestiza women. Race interacts with gender Whether sector-specific, regime-oriented, offered to the poor in Colombia, for in the rural sierra of Peru, as women are contemporary or historical, research on example, did not offer full diagnosis for considered “more indigenous” and more gender and welfare in Latin America points cervical cancer until 2006 (and in practice likely to remain monolingual Quechua to persistent gender inequalities that are often still denies it) despite the fact that this speakers (de la Cadena 1996). As a result, reproduced by social policies. But this
24 research also demonstrates that these Ewig, Christina. 2008. “Reproduction, Re-reform Women in Rural Mexico inequalities are constructed, they are and the Reconfigured State: Feminists and Agendas and Transitions surmountable, and they deserve a higher Neoliberal Health Reforms in Chile.” In: Isabella priority on the agendas of governments Bakker and Rachel Silvey, eds. Beyond States and by PATRICIA ARIAS across the region today. Markets: The Challenges of Social Reproduction, Universidad de Guadalajara 143-158. New York: Routledge Press. [email protected] This essay draws on my forthcoming book Hancock, Ange-Marie. 2007. “When In recent years, three trends have emerged Second Wave Neoliberalism: Gender, Race Multiplication Doesn’t Equal Quick Addition: that are having a transformational impact and Health Sector Reforms in Peru Examining Intersectionality as a Research (Pennsylvania State University Press) and on Paradigm.” Perspectives on Politics. on women from rural Mexico. First, rural on-going research on gender and health 5(1): 63-79. Mexican women are participating in wage reform in Chile, Colombia, Mexico and labor markets on a large scale; second, they Ecuador. I thank Jane Collins, Eric Lind, Amy. 2005. Gendered Paradoxes: Women’s are taking on new social and economic tasks Hershberg and William Jones for their Movements, State Restructuring, and Global as a result of indefinitely prolonged male comments on this essay. Development in Ecuador. University Park: migration; and, third, female migration is Pennsylvania State Press. intensifying (D’Aubeterre, 1995; Durand and Massey, 2003; Hondagneu-Sotelo, 2003; Martínez Franzoni, Juliana. 2008. Domesticar la References Marroni, 1995; Moctezuma Yano, 2003). Incertidumbre en América Latina: Mercado The explanation of reuniting families as the Laboral, Política Social y Familias. San José: Arenas de Mesa, Alberto and Veronica Montecinos. Universidad de Costa Rica. impetus for this migration has lost ground 1999. “The Privatization of Social Security and as the female exodus proceeds: the women Women’s Welfare: Gender Effects of the Chilean McCall, Leslie. 2005. “The Complexity of currently leaving their communities may be Reform.” Latin American Research Review. Intersectionality.” Signs: Journal of Women in married, unmarried, abandoned, widowed, 34(3): 7-37. Culture and Society. 30(3): 1771-1800. or single mothers. Bertranou, Fabio M. 2001. “Pension Reform and Molyneux, Maxine. 2006. “Mothers at the Service Gender Gaps in Latin America: What Are the In light of this evidence, some studies claim of the New Poverty Agenda: Progresa/ Policy Options?” World Development. that women have achieved greater Oportunidades, Mexico’s Conditional Transfer 29(5):911-923. “empowerment” in their places of origin Program.” Social Policy and Administration. (Deere and León, 2000). With the men 40(4):425-449. De la Cadena, Marisol. 1996. “Las Mujeres Son away, women have taken on new jobs— Más Indias.” In: Patricia Ruíz-Bravo ed. Detrás Pollack, Molly E. 2002. Equidad de Género en el as agricultural laborers on small plots for de la Puerta: Hombres y Mujeres en el Perú del Sistema de Salud Chileno. No. 123 Serie example—and are participating more in Hoy, 181- 202. Lima: Pontificia Universidad Financiamiento del Desarrollo. Santiago: CEPAL, community activities (D’Aubeterre, 1995; Católica del Perú. Unidad de Financiamiento para el Desarrollo. Deere, 2005; Garza Bueno and Zapata Dion, Michelle. 2006. “Women’s Welfare and Martelo, 2007; Menjívar and Agadjanian, Pribble, Jennifer. 2006. “The Politics of Women’s Social Security Privatization in Mexico.” Social 2007; Peña Piña, 2004; Rosas, 2004). Welfare in Chile and Uruguay.” Latin American Politics. 13(3):400-426. Research Review. 41(2): 4-111. Although accepting new responsibilities has Ehrick, Christine. 2005. The Shield of the Weak: meant more work than rights for women, Rosemblatt, Karin Alejandra. 2000. Gendered Feminism and the State in Uruguay, 1903-1933. Compromises: Political Cultures and the State in the absence of the male appears to have Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. Chile, 1920-1950. Chapel Hill: University of had positive effects on their self-esteem, North Carolina Press. autonomy and independence (Rosas, 2005). Esping-Anderson, Gøsta. 1990. The Three Worlds However, male absence can have negative of Welfare Capitalism. Princeton: Princeton Stepan, Nancy Leys. 1991. The Hour of Eugenics: effects as well. Remittances perpetuate University Press. Race, Gender and Nation in Latin America. economic dependency and male control of Ithaca: Cornell University Press. women: in many cases wives do not receive their allowances directly and cannot decide
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how to spend them (Peña Piña, 2004; Rosas, Gender, Institutions and Social Models women, mothers without spouses, widows, 2004). Many women stay in their in-laws’ or those who had been abandoned by their homes and are thus subject to the control of Can we therefore say that marital relations husbands and either stayed with or returned the families of their spouses (Estrada, 2007; of couples in destination communities may to their domestic groups with their children. Marroni, 2002; Menjívar and Agadjanian, be different from those that existed in their Women who are “single” in the sense that 2007; Peña Piña, 2004; Rosas, 2005). In places of origin? To fully explore this they do not have a recognized spouse have this context, the new tasks and roles women question, we can note first that Hontagneu- been the most vulnerable, and the most have taken on can lead to stress (Menjívar Sotelo (2003) finds that gender relations— likely to suffer the worst living and working and Agadjanian, 2007; Rosas, 2005). understood as power relations between the conditions in their domestic groups and in sexes—are not limited to the domestic realm their communities. Although there are few studies of destination and everyday life; rather, they are present in communities, they indicate that women’s all social and political fields and institutions. wage labor has brought about greater Thus, to understand rural Mexican women’s Motivating Goals equality in marital relationships. In demands and struggles, the scope of analysis Dominican migrant households in New York should be expanded to include family, social 1. Having the right to work for wages. with both husband and wife working outside and cultural contexts, since men and women Until the nineteen eighties, it was common the home, domestic chores and childcare are likely, and often obligated, to conduct for women who worked outside their homes were more equally shared (Grasmuck and gender relations as dictated by their families to have to ask for permission from parents Pessar, 1991). Grasmuck and Pessar also or the community. Social relations and and husbands. Changes in traditional marital found that in order to preserve and prolong institutions exert pressures that impose relationships were not to be discussed, nor the benefits of migration, Dominican women particular gender relations on couples were modifications in house rules: the postponed returning to their country. For through constraints, gossip, accusations, women were to continue, as always, to be in example, they would purchase expensive instigations, interpretations, and even charge of domestic chores and childcare, and goods on credit, thus obligating their violence, which has a serious impact on the their movements were to be confined to the families to stay longer in the United States. lives of these women (González Montes, journey from house to work and back. This The men’s strategy was the opposite: they 2002). Thus, it is not surprising that women placed them in a disadvantageous and sought to save as much as possible to get are interested in making changes: they are subordinate position. back to their communities of origin as soon the more affected by the gender dimensions as they could. In the case of these of models of social reproduction that As women in agricultural families began to Dominicans, it is not clear whether it was determine patterns of residence, obligations, break the mold and work outside the home, the living and working conditions in the control, mobility and resources. their wage labor became highly valued and destination community or the separation they sought assistance with agricultural from the community of origin and its In the Mesoamerican model of social work. Second, women began to make controls that fostered greater equality reproduction, the traditional subordination personal and independent use of their between men and women in New York. of the woman at home is deeply rooted, income and negotiate the financial unrestricted and hazardous. As long as they contribution they make to their households. Mummert’s (2003) study of migrants from were unmarried, women were under the Third, wage labor ceased to be a sporadic, Quiringuicharo, Michoacán suggests another control of their mothers, fathers, or brothers. temporary event associated with the pre- explanation. Men said that “as long as a In many cases they had no choice of whom marriage stage of life: it became sought after married woman stays in the village,” her or when to marry; until quite recently, this and constantly defended. place is in the home, whereas in the North, was a decision made by the family or it was “wives use the argument that the need for the chance selection of a man “stealing the 2. Breaking with patrilocality. In the two incomes means they have to get out of bride” (González Montes and Salles, 1995; Mesoamerican model of social reproduction, the house” (2003:315). Oehmichen, 2002). As for “single” women, the most widespread model in Mexican rural rural societies have long concealed their societies (Robichaux, 1997), women go to existence, and especially their living live with their husband’s domestic group conditions. Singles included unmarried when they marry. Patrilocal residence had
26 many advantages for society as a whole, but relatives and neighbors and to suspicion that Miguel Acuexcomac, Puebla, try to get to tended to be the worst stage in life for a could lead to an extremely tight watch on Los Angeles because they want to live with woman: she was subject to abuse by her their activities, movements and relationships their spouses (Fagetti, 1995). In seeking to husband and in-laws, subordinated and (Casados González, 2004). Female behavior restore the marriage bond that has been obligated to help or to take over tasks from is rigorously “watched and occasionally weakened by distance, or else moved by a the mother-in-law and sisters-in-law, and punished violently, when the husband or the new ideal of married life, young women was vulnerable to physical aggression and father or the brother have doubts about her abandon their villages, leaving their parents social isolation (Córdova Plaza, 2002; honor and sexual behavior” (Oehmichen, and in-laws behind (D’Aubeterre, 2002). Estrada, 2007; Mindek, 2007; Moctezuma 2002). The fear of reprisals and loss of Yano, 2002; Sierra, 2004). Once “joined in support forced women to repress their The indefinitely prolonged emigration of marriage, the woman could be beaten, sexuality and to exalt their submission. The husbands and fiancés has made it easier for sometimes brutally, without her own original slightest doubt about a woman’s sexual women to assert their right to go with them. family taking her back in” (Oehmichen, behavior could become an excuse for male The scenarios of U.S. migration they have 2002). family members to repress and punish her. heard about, imagined or experienced, also To encourage other men to judge, avoid or influence them. In destination communities Recent ethnography has shown that one of harass the women, male family members women have been able to confront the women’s objectives, sometimes on their own often cut off communication and invented or machismo, gossip, abuse and mistreatment and sometimes with their spouses, is to repeated slander against them. Just having a that was common in their communities of break with patrilocality as a form of post- spouse, any spouse, gave women legitimacy origin and enjoy greater equality with their marital residence in favor of neolocal and protection from other men, from all spouses. Domestic violence is also less residence—establishing their own men, in fact, which compelled them to pervasive than in their villages back home households. Women insist on using the accept spouses who were sometimes quite (Oechmichen Bazán, 2005; Ruiz Robles, money received as remittances to build a dreadful (Mindek, 2007). 2004). By comparing the female condition house separate from their parents-in-law as in their communities with conditions in soon as possible, and thus shorten, or better But today things have changed. Single other communities, young women have been yet, eliminate, the patrilocal residence phase women who are unable to depend on their able to question traditional norms and (Córdova Plaza, 2002; D’Aubeterre, 1995; children’s fathers or grandfathers are obligations—especially in the mother-in- Marroni de Velásquez, 1995; Pauli, 2007). deciding to work outside their communities law/daughter-in-law relationship. Migration They even “make attempts to delay their to improve their children’s and their own can mitigate the tensions and complexities of husbands’ return” until they achieve their standard of living. This option allows them the often conflictive relationships among basic aim of having a home of their own, to remain single or to form a relationship women of different generations living under away from their mothers-in-law and sisters- with another man. the same roof. in-law (Sánchez Plata, 2004:198). 4. Having the right to live alone with their Migration can also open the door to changes 3. Escaping the moral control of husbands. Until recently, women accepted that do not seem possible in the villages: a communities of origin. Wage labor and without question the decision made by woman can decide, with her husband, about migration have helped women to deal with spouses and the family group with respect to key questions, such as how many children to or to escape from the brutal moral control where they should live. But young women, have and their education, as well as work, exercised in their communities of origin. both married and single, have started to investments and projects. Not that the The only option for women abandoned by make new arguments to justify the right to husbands are always agreeable, but outside their spouses had been to return to their build their lives as a couple not only away the local context they may be more flexible. original households. In exchange for a place from the in-laws’ house but also far from Departure may be a way to create husband- to live and some assistance, they had to their villages. They assert that “they want to wife relationships that are more egalitarian cooperate in the projects and economic live with their husbands” wherever their than in communities of origin, where both activities of their own parents and brothers. husbands are, and the only way to be with are pressured into fulfilling the stereotypes At the same time, they were subject to their husbands now, they may say, is to and gender norms imposed by parents and accusations and sexual harassment from emigrate. For example, young women from siblings, as well as a long list of in-laws and
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extended family. For women away from the become scarce. But the women don’t stop family and social relations and meanings in watchful eye of their relatives it becomes leaving. which both husband and wife have been possible to negotiate and to make embedded. Departure from their agreements with their spouses alone rather 6. Challenging the stereotype of the male communities of origin has facilitated the than the whole domestic group. provider. In order to secure these changes, transition and a break with the women have had to struggle against gender Mesoamerican model of social reproduction, 5. Having the right to break marital bonds. stereotypes and ideologies. They have had to based on assumptions that create strong and For decades male migration disguised the break with the idea that marriage required painful gender imbalances for women. dissolution of marital unions and the putting up with anything, including physical abandonment of children. Ceasing to send abuse, because they were being supported by Of course, communities and domestic groups remittances amounted in practice to cutting their husbands. Significantly, most families have tried to perpetuate traditional off marital relations even if it was not did not support women who sought relationships by keeping women in their overtly stated. Mothers had to totally separation from abusive husbands. As long communities. But the deepening agrarian assume the economic responsibilities of as a husband was supporting his wife crisis and the end of land redistribution have supporting their children. This dynamic is financially, she was expected to put up with diluted the bonds connecting the migrants to beginning to change. Single women who do whatever he did. Women themselves valued their original communities and helped push not have the support of the fathers or that support, since working outside the the transition. There is an emerging trend grandparents of their children are choosing home was not, generally acceptable (Rosas, for young people, both male and female, to to work away from their communities in 2005). give up agricultural activity and emigrate. order to maintain or improve their standard Like men, women who have left their of living. At the same time, married women As the notion of egalitarian marriages has communities for economic reasons are the have begun to react to domestic violence that met with more approval, rural Mexican beneficiaries of a significant modification in they are no longer willing to put up with. women are working outside the home in the gender relations that prevailed in their Oehmichen Bazán (2005) has shown that greater numbers and are valuing their own households of origin. Mazahua women migrate for a variety of work. The “good man” increasingly is one reasons that nearly always include escaping who is dependable, doesn’t abuse his wife some form of conjugal violence. Women are and is not an alcoholic; he doesn’t References increasingly walking or running away from necessarily need to be the best provider violent marital or family relations. They anymore. Grasmuck, Sherri y Patricia R. Pessar also are increasingly unwilling to accept 1991 Between Two Islands. Dominican vulnerable positions within their domestic International Migration. Berkeley: groups, opting to leave their communities. Conclusion University of California Press. D’Aubeterre Buznego, María Eugenia Female-initiated marital breakups create a Rural Mexican women have fought to lot of tension within households. Parents modify the status traditionally assigned them 1995 “Tiempos de espera: emigración masculina, ciclo doméstico y situación de and siblings, many of them also violent men, in their roles as sisters or daughters, as well las mujeres en San Miguel Acuexcomac, often do not accept this change and repeat as in their marital relationships as wives, Puebla.” In Relaciones de género y the old arguments for why the woman has daughters-in-law and sisters-in-law. Rural transformaciones agrarias, edited by no right to separate, such as, “it’s what she women use migration, work and money, Soledad González Montes and Vania chose,” “marriage is like that,” “all men are often without expressing the fact openly, Salles, 255-297. Mexico City: El Colegio like that,” “what’s she done to make him act to break away from the values, beliefs, de México. like that,” “she’s brought shame on all of mechanisms, practices, identities and us,” or “it would be just the same with ideologies that have traditionally marked, someone else.” Women who leave marriages bounded and affected their lives as females face reprisals from their own families. in a set of family relationships. Their Resources, services and assistance suddenly struggle has not been necessarily against their husbands per se, but against the weft of
28 González Montes, Soledad and Vania Salles Moctezuma Yano, Patricia Rosas Mújica, Carolina A. 1995 “Mujeres que se quedan, mujeres que se 2002 Artesanos y artesanía frente a la 2004 “Remesas y mujeres en Veracruz. Una van…Continuidad y cambios de las globalización: Zipiajo, Patamban y aproximación macro-micro.” In vol. 2 of relaciones sociales en contextos de Tonalá. San Luis Potosí: El Colegio de Remesas. Milagros y mucho más realizan aceleradas mudanzas rurales.” In San Luis-El Colegio de Michoacán. las mujeres indígenas y campesinas, Relaciones de género y transformaciones edited by Blanca Suárez and Emma agrarias, edited by Soledad González Durand, Jorge and Douglas S. Massey Zapata Martelo, 111-173. Mexico City: Montes and Vania Salles,15-50. Mexico 2003 Clandestinos. Migración México-Estados GIMTRAP. City: El Colegio de México. Unidos en los albores del siglo XXI. Mexico: Universidad Autónoma de Ruiz Robles, Raúl René Robichaux, David Zacatecas-Miguel Angel Porrúa. 2004 “San Jerónimo Progreso: migración y 1997 “Residence Rules and Ultimogeniture in remesas. Un sistema político sustentado Tlaxcala and Mesoamerica.” Ethnology, Hondagneu-Sotelo, Pierrette por ellas.” In vol. 2 of Remesas. Milagros 36, (2): 141-171. 2003 “Gender and Immigration. A y mucho más realizan las mujeres Retrospective and Introduction.” In indígenas y campesinas, edited by Blanca Córdova Plaza, Rocío Gender and U.S. Immigration: Suárez and Emma Zapata Martelo, 7-32. 2002 “Y en medio de nosotros mi madre como Contemporary Trends, edited by Pierrette Mexico City: GIMTRAP. un Dios: de suegras y nueras en una Hondagneu-Sotelo, 3-19. Berkeley: comunidad rural veracruzana,” University of California Press. Sánchez Plata, Fabiana Alteridades, 12 (23): 41-50. 2004 “Migración y remesas: dos aliados del Mummert, Gail empoderamiento individual de las González Montes, Soledad 2003 “Del metate al despate: trabajo asalariado mujeres de La Charca, Atoyac, 2002 “Las mujeres y las relaciones de género y renegociación de espacios y relaciones Veracruz.” In vol. 2 of Remesas. Milagros en las investigaciones sobre el México de género.” In Mujeres del campo y mucho más realizan las mujeres campesino e indígena.” In Estudios sobre mexicano. 1850-1990, edited by Heather indígenas y campesinas, edited by Blanca las mujeres y las relaciones de género en Fowler-Salamini and Mary Kay Vaughan, Suárez and Emma Zapata Martelo, 175- México: aportes desde diversas 295-322. Zamora: El Colegio de 218. Mexico City: GIMTRAP. disciplinas, edited by Elena Urrutia, 165- Michoacán. 200. Mexico City: El Colegio de México. Sierra, María Teresa Casados González, Estela 2004 “Derecho indígena y mujeres: viejas Marroni, María da Gloria 2004 “Imposible que fuera diferente. Ahorro costumbres, nuevos derechos.” In Voces 2002 “Pobreza rural, mujeres y migración solidario entre mujeres sihuapill en una disidentes. Debates contemporáneos en masculina.” In Con voz propia. Mujeres comunidad de migrantes veracruzanos.” los estudios de género en México, edited rurales en los noventa, edited by María In vol. 2 of Remesas. Milagros y mucho by Sara Elena Pérez-Gil Romo and da Gloria Marroni and María Eugenia más realizan las mujeres indígenas y Patricia Ravelo Blancas, 113-149. D’Aubeterre, 15-44. Puebla: Benemérita campesinas, edited by Blanca Suárez and Mexico City: CIESAS-Miguel Angel Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Emma Zapata Martelo, 77 – 110. Porrúa. Instituto de Ciencias Sociales y Mexico City: GIMTRAP. Humanidades. Oehmichen Bazán, Cristina 1995 “Trabajo rural femenino y relaciones de Peña Piña, Joaquín 2005 Identidad, género y relaciones género.” In Relaciones de género y 2004 “Migración, remesas y estrategias de interétnicas. Mazahuas en la ciudad de transformaciones agrarias, edited by reproducción. Mujeres esposas de México. Mexico City: UNAM. Soledad González Montes y Vania Salles, migrantes y relaciones de género en la 2002 “Parentesco y matrimonio en la 135-162. Mexico City: El Colegio de región indígena mam del Soconusco, comunidad extendida: el caso de los México. Chiapas.” In Remesas. Milagros y mucho mazahuas.” Alteridades 12 (24): 61-74. más realizan las mujeres indígenas y campesinas, edited by Blanca Suárez and Emma Zapata Martelo, 33-76. Mexico City: GIMTRAP.
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Rosas, Carolina Interrogating “Queerness” in have held both epistemic and political 2005 “Administrando las remesas. Theory and Politics salience in the contemporary struggle for Posibilidades de autonomía de la mujer: Reflections from Ecuador lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender2 and un estudio de caso en el centro de intersex (LGBTI) rights in Latin America. Veracruz.” In Género, cultura y by AMY LIND That is to say, whether one opts to embrace sociedad. Autonomía de las mujeres en University of Cincinnati the term “queer” or not, even negative contextos rurales,15-51. Mexico City: [email protected] encounters with “queerness” have produced PIEM. important and interesting forms of inquiry Introduction and activism in the region, which in my view Estrada Iguíniz, Margarita would not have occurred in such a way 2007 “Del control a la independencia: género y To speak of queer studies and politics in without an encounter with queer studies in escolaridad en familias rurales en Latin America, one must necessarily the first place.3 Guanajuato.” In ¿Campo o ciudad? interrogate the ways in which notions of Nuevos espacios y formas de vida, edited queerness have circulated and been by Patricia Arias and Ofelia Woo resignified by various groups of scholars and Morales, 45-65. Guadalajara: Encountering “Queerness” in the Field: Universidad de Guadalajara. activists. Like other terrains of struggle, Gays, Lesbians, Transfeminists and “queer” brings with it a set of pressing Neoliberals Menjívar, Cecilia y Victor Agadjanian questions about the place of Anglophone 2007 “Men’s Migration and Women’s Lives: expressions in Spanish, Portuguese and other Recently I returned from a research trip to Views from Rural Armenia and linguistic contexts; the sexual, racial and Venezuela and Ecuador where I interviewed Guatemala.” Social Science Quarterly, 88 nationalist taxonomies that accompany its LGBTI activists about this issue, particularly (5): 1243-1262. interpretation; and the ability (or lack as notions of “gayness” and “queerness” are thereof) to organize successfully and understood by activists in their quest for a Mindek, Dubravka establish a shared cultural meaning around post-neoliberal order, in the era of “21st 2007 “Disolución de parejas conyugales en un such a term. As lesbian, gay, bisexual, century socialism” in these two countries. pueblo mexicano: ¿divergencia del transgender, intersex and queer scholars have I was motivated to learn not only how modelo tradicional?” In Familia y long pointed out, both in the North and activists are constructing political strategies diversidad en América Latina. Estudios South, “queer” can be used in several ways: which challenge the premise of liberalism as de casos, edited by David Robichaux, as an identity marker or category, as a 189-211. Buenos Aires: CLACSO. a cultural (and imperialist) project, but also methodology, as an epistemological how their own encounters with Latin framework, and/or as a starting point to Pauli, Julia America’s new Lefts (plural) have given them produce new or distinct forms of knowledge pause to rethink the centrality of 2007 “Que vivan mejor aparte: migración, and political strategies that challenge estructura familiar y género en una heteronormativity in both capitalist and heteronormativities and gender socialist development projects and in the comunidad del México central.” In 1 Familias mexicanas en transición, edited normativities. In Latin America, “queer” is constructions of nationhood that are created by David Robichaux, 87-116. Mexico often associated with northern or “western” through and sustain these narratives of City: Universidad Iberoamericana. cultural imperialism and seen as a notion progress and revolution. As I was asking that reinforces a whitening and/or questions aimed at these broad issues, I homogenization of the interests and found myself returning to the question of identities of people who do not fit within the identity markers as central to broader culturally prescribed sexual or gender roles struggles for interpretive power within each of their societies (e.g., Viteri 2008). Yet country—struggles which also play out some of the basic forms of thought among LGBTI activists as they debate what emanating from queer studies, embodied in constitutes an appropriate political agenda. the work of, for example, Michel Foucault Below I provide some examples from my (1978) and Judith Butler (1990), continue to interviews in Quito, Ecuador, to highlight take on new place-based meanings which some of the tensions that exist in current
30 Ecuadorian scholarly and political debates The process by which sectors of LGBTI LGBTI Movement Currents: Neo/Liberal on queerness, and to draw out the strategic activists struggled to include these articles in and Transfeminist potential of a “queer” political agenda in a the constitutional assembly’s final proposal context in which “queerness” is more often was long and arduous. And needless to say, To begin, two currents of the LGBTI than not rejected as a mobilizing category. there was great opposition to these articles. movement stand out. First, the more liberal, The religious Right and conservative Left mainstream current represented primarily by Quito’s LGBTI movement, which is coincided in some views on homosexuality gay (male) rights and HIV/AIDS NGOs, comprised of approximately 15 and abortion—the two hot button topics— along with at least one lesbian organization. organizations, a handful of coalitions, and yet it was the religious Right that This movement current presented its own several additional individual activists successfully pushed for an anti-same-sex proposal to the assembly which included working in a diversity of spaces, has marriage clause and a clause stating that same-sex unions, access to property rights, effectively mobilized its various ideological same-sex couples cannot adopt, both of and anti-discrimination legislation, among sectors to participate, either formally or which appear in the new constitution. The others. The general thrust behind the informally, in the redrafting of and opposition to same-sex marriage was proposal was to seek full citizen rights for negotiations surrounding President Rafael particularly interesting given that virtually gays and lesbians (and to a much more Correa’s (2007-present) newly-proposed no LGBTI sector asked for it; rather, the fear limited extent, transgendered people) in constitution, voted on in a national of same-sex marriage was created by the Ecuador’s otherwise benevolent democratic referendum on September 28, 2008. Right as an intimidation strategy and system. This framework works well with Ecuador’s new constitution, which passed by ultimately, as an attempt to create opposition the existing legal system, although the a wide margin, provides several new articles to President Correa’s general push for emphasis on same-sex unions meant that aimed at protecting the rights of people on economic sovereignty and individual and access to citizenship would be based on a the basis of sexual orientation and gender collective rights through his “citizen traditional notion of an intimate relationship identity. Unlike the 1998 constitution, revolution,” a process viewed by Right-wing (either through a unión de hecho or which included sexual orientation in its anti- economic and political elites as inherently domestic partnership, for example) and as discrimination clause, the new constitution anti-capitalist, anti-market, and as such, this liberal approach did not challenge includes additional judicial guarantees and threatening to the traditional nucleus of the the traditional legal notion of “the family” mechanisms that, for the first time, allows Ecuadorian nation, “the family.” as rooted in blood or property relations, nor people to demand, either individually or did it question the neoliberal logic behind collectively, freedom from discrimination on Despite these tensions within the assembly supporting a citizenship model based on the the basis of gender identity or sexual meetings, the presence of key activists in the assumption that all citizens have equal access orientation in the workplace, educational pre-assembly meetings and during the six- to the marketplace and consumer culture. In system, health care system, housing sector, month constitutional assembly itself, coupled many ways, this current is comparable to and in cultural life (Asamblea Constituyente with Correa’s majority political bloc liberal LGBT political currents in northern 2008). It also acknowledges and aims to approval of the articles, solidified the countries which aim to solidify access to protect “alternative families”—families that approval of the progressive articles in the citizenship through a marriage or domestic are not based on blood or property relations final document. Interestingly, while certainly partnership model—a model often critiqued but rather on “other types of solidarity,” “queer” was not a term used in assembly by queer activists as reinforcing rather than including migrant families, single parent negotiations, some activists have remarked challenging a heteronormative logic of the households, and “sexually diverse” families that notions from queer theory were used to family, marriage and market as hegemonic including same-sex couples who live develop their own movement proposals to institutions (e.g., Seidman 2001). together. The alternative-families clause the assembly, a point I develop below. could also apply to, for example, transsexual The second current of the movement, which and travestis communities, and to any other also submitted its own proposal to the type of household that does not rely upon a constitutional assembly,4 was often defined traditional logic of blood relations. by its members as “transfeminista” in my interviews (Vásquez 2008; Medranda 2008; Valverde 2008; Rojas 2008). This current is
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comprised primarily of lesbian and trans “transfeminista” implies an explicit political case of the transfeminist current of Ecuador’s activists and includes some gay men as well. agenda, rooted both in transgender rights LGBTI movement, for the speaker According to one interviewee, and feminism, which seeks to address the “transfeminism” captures at least two “transfeminism breaks with a (neo)liberal violence of the normalizing effects of state central political notions: the idea that the logic, at least in the Ecuadorian context. We policies and laws, institutional personal is still very much political; and the are not interested in the theme of goods and discrimination and cultural discourses idea that activism itself must be patrimonies; rather, we are seeking a broader concerning homosexuality, gender identity transgressive, that is, that it must not buy proposal that goes beyond the neoliberal.” and the family. In contrast, according to one into a heteronormative, eurocentric liberal With this in mind, activists in this current activist, advocating for a “queer” agenda logic of identity. The speaker drew from have attempted to create alliances with other does not necessarily imply a political agenda Judith Halberstam’s (1998) research on sectors, both within the LGBTI movement per se, since “queer” can also signify a female masculinities to define her own and outside it, particularly with sectors that methodology or academic field and notion of transfeminism, yet she also drew “…have not been heard and that have historically the embracing of the identity from transnational feminist and postcolonial organized around an alternative aesthetic marker “queer” has not always been linked studies to define “trans” more generally as [i.e., form of expression] and notion of to political activism (Rojas 2008), a critique capturing “the sites where taxonomies don’t family…one based more on a logic of that has been made both in the North and quite fit” (Quiroga, 2000: 195-196 as cited solidarity rather than on one of South. in Viteri 2008: 180). Interestingly, while she individualism. These are identities that are drew from “northern” scholarship, her own not recognized by the formal system nor appropriation and definition of the term within traditional cultural practices. We say Transfeminism and Queer Studies took on a meaning of its own, one very ‘no’ to norms, to the dominant aesthetic, to unique and relevant to LGBTI movement the neoliberal system…there are other ways There is no doubt that the mobilizing success debates in Ecuador and one quite distinct to of seeing the world.” (Rojas 2008). of transfeminism has its roots in queer Halberstam’s original usage of the terms studies. Indeed, transfeminism as a political “trans” and “feminism.” What is interesting For the transfeminist current, “trans” implies project exists in part due to alliances among about this term, from my perspective, is that a break not only with the traditional academic institutions, NGOs, movement while the speaker rejected the term “queer,” gender/sex system but also with other forms alliances, and even the state-based National she developed a similar challenge to the logic of normativities based on race, ethnicity, Women’s Council (Consejo Nacional de la of liberalism so central to queer theory’s class and geopolitical location. As some Mujer, or CONAMU), which now includes critique of LGBT identity politics. Her activists pointed out, unlike “queer,” “trans” LGBT rights in its agenda, at least on paper. theoretical perspective, like that of and “transfeminista” hold organizing A recent academic event in Quito serves as a transfeminist activists, is grounded in lived potential in the Quito context and relate to case in point. In a presentation at the tenth political, cultural and economic experiences local understandings of non-normative anniversary conference of the Gender Studies and not just in academic theory. Certainly identities, forms of expression, and living Program at the Facultad Latinoamericana de there is a correlation between the two, yet as arrangements. For example, the Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO-Ecuador) in June many scholars have pointed out, notions transfeminist current, which advocated for 2008, a Quito-based lesbian activist and from queer studies circulate and are the notion of “alternative families” in its intellectual argued that the term “queer” is resignified in local contexts in such a way proposal to the constitutional assembly, not relevant in Ecuador and that, in her that they take on new meanings altogether, draws directly from Ecuador’s history of view, “transfeminism” is a more appropriate some of which challenge dominant collective rights, rooted in indigenous term to describe a new form of politics understandings of “queerness” even as they thought and cultures, rather than relying on taking place within Ecuador’s increasingly are incorporated into LGBTI political a notion of individual rights so common in heterogeneous lesbian, gay, bisexual, strategies. liberal discourse. At the same time, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) transfeminist activists have also challenged movement. For her, “transfeminism” In Quito, the late Patricio Brabomalo was both indigenous and mestizo accounts of referred to a particular kind of political perhaps one of the first activists to identify “the family” which exclude sexual and vision that some lesbian and trans activists explicitly with a form of “queer” politics gender dissidents. In addition, share with regard to social change. As in the and to publish his views on queerness.
32 Brabomalo, one of the founders of the LGBT Transfeministas and Cooperativos: Pending sense, it is impossible to separate the rights NGO, Fundación CAUSANA, Questions, Preliminary Conclusions academic enterprise of queer studies from espoused a “queer” form of doing politics political activism in Quito. Yet how these that involved a critique of various forms of The “face of homosexuality” that individuals resignify notions of queerness in identity expression among self-defined gay Brabomalo speaks of continues to serve as a their professional, academic and activist men, lesbians, bisexuals, travestis and visible terrain of dispute in Quito’s current work, be it through embracing historically transsexuals. As Brabomalo states, LGBTI movement to such an extent that the perjorative terms such as marimacha, loca or transfeminist current considers the liberal maricón and reclaiming them as forms of No existen un ‘solo’ de gays y lesbianas, current a group of “cooperativos,” or the pride; or through creating new, locally existen además, maricones, plumas, locas, corporate gay current of the movement. understood terms such as llapingacha; or by fuertes. No existen solamente lesbianas, According to one self-defined transfeminista critiquing the limitations of globalized existen también marimachas, tortilleras, interviewee, the cooperativos emphasize discourses of “gay rights,” these debates will areperas. (Brabomalo 2002: 31). individual rights, gay consumerism, and a continue to shape the increasingly corporate NGO model of advocacy, whereas heterogeneous nature of Ecuador’s academic He continues, transfeminists emphasize a logic of solidarity scholarship in gender and sexuality studies and aim to challenge, rather than merely as well as its activist networks. En el Ecuador el rostro que se le ha dado reform, normative legal and political a la homosexualidad dentro de la misma structures (Vasquez 2008). población, muestra a un hombre References comprendido entre 25 y 45 años, The ongoing tensions among the liberal and mestizo, de clase media, con escolaridad transfeminist currents of Quito’s LGBTI Foucault, Michel de nivel universitario. Estas movement raises a series of questions about 1978 The History of Sexuality, Volume 1. New características...se han diseminado en la the usefulness of “queering” LGBTI politics York: Random House. misma población tomándose como in a country like Ecuador, and about the Butler, Judith referentes de un grupo de personas más place of queer studies in Ecuadorian heterogéneo de lo que se imagina. Este academic life. To be sure, FLACSO-Ecuador 1990 Gender Trouble: Feminism and the rostro...oculta la realidad y existencia de has provided a crucial space for critical Subversion of Identity. New York: Routledge. toda una gama de tonalidades, de rostros reflection on these issues, initially established invisibilizados, escondidos y...sancionados in part through an alliance with Fundación Halberstam, Judith en su “propio” terreno....(Brabomalo CAUSANA and FLACSO’s Gender Studies 1998 Female Masculinity. Durham, NC: Duke 2002: 31). Program. In 2002, the Sexual Identities University Press. Study Group was created by Fundación Brabomalo draws from the work of theorists CAUSANA and FLACSO, with the goal of Quiroga, José such as Michel Foucault, Judith Butler, and bringing together scholars and activists 2000 Tropics of Desire: Interventions from Jeffrey Weeks, among others, to develop his interested in intellectually interrogating the Queer Latino America. New York: New understanding of the “face of meaning of sexuality and gender identity. York University Press. homosexuality” in Ecuador, a “face” which FLACSO has offered several courses in the he views as biased toward a Eurocentric, areas of queer theory, sexuality studies and Seidman, Steven White, middle class aesthetic even within the masculinity and femininity studies and has 2001 “From Identity to Queer Politics: Shifts in realm of LGBTI activism. He draws from hosted several public events and conference Normative Heterosexuality and the queer theory to elaborate on his political panels on these issues. Activists from Meaning of Citizenship.” Citizenship agenda, which entails a rethinking of identity organizations such as Proyecto Transgénero, Studies 5(3): 321-328. as fluid and constantly changing rather than Casa Trans (housed together) and Fundación static and fixed. For Brabomalo, this CAUSANA have been trained either at approach speaks to his lived concrete FLACSO or at other Ecuadorian universities experience more so than liberal theory. where they have studied queer theory as part of their broader degree programs. In this
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Brabomalo Molina, Patricio Endnotes 2002 Homosexualidades: Plumas, maricones y 1 tortilleras en el Ecuador del siglo XXI. By “heteronormativities,” I am referring to the Quito: Fundación CAUSANA. ways in which heterosexuality is privileged above all other expressions of sexuality and Asamblea Constituyente viewed as natural and normal versus non- heterosexual identities or experiences which 2008 Constitución de la República del Ecuador are marked as unnatural, abnormal, or as 2008. Quito, Ecuador. “outside” dominant societal understandings of sexuality, sex and gender. By “gender Medranda, Jorge normativities,” I am referring to the ways in 2008 Project Director, Proyecto Transgénero: which gender identities, forms of expressions, Cuerpos Distintos, Derechos Iguales. and roles are likewise naturalized and Personal interview, September 5, 2008. normalized such that anyone who does not fit Quito, Ecuador. within a culturally prescribed gender role is deemed “abnormal” in their society. Both of Rojas, Leticia these types of normativities have symbolic and 2008 Director, Fundación CAUSANA. Personal material effects, often violent ones, for sexual interview, September 17, 2008. Quito, and gender dissidents. Ecuador. 2 By “transgender” I am referring to various Valverde, Shirley groups of people that transgress, challenge, or alter the gender categories assigned to them at 2008 Director, Casa Trans. Personal interview, birth: transsexuals, travestis or cross-dressers, September 5, 2008. Quito, Ecuador. drag kings and queens, lesbianas masculinas, transgenders. Vásquez, Elizabeth 2008 Director, Proyecto Transgénero: Cuerpos 3 Not unlike earlier historical encounters with Distintos, Derechos Iguales. Personal feminism, Marxism and liberalism. interview, September 8, 2008. Quito, Ecuador. 4 Multiple proposals were submitted to the constitutional assembly by LGBTI sectors but Viteri, Maria Amelia in my interviews these two proposals were 2008 “Out of Place: Translations of ‘Race,’ repeatedly mentioned whereas other proposals Ethnicity, Sexuality and Citizenship in were not. Washington, D.C. and San Salvador, El Salvador,” in Adi Kuntsman and Esperanza Miyake, eds. Out of Place: Interrogating Silences in Queerness/Raciality. York, UK: Raw Nerve Books: 179-202
34 ON LASA2009
Report from the Program Chairs by EVELYNE HUBER | University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill | [email protected] and CYNTHIA STEELE | University of Washington-Seattle | [email protected]
As we anticipated after seeing the record This necessitates running concurrent sessions We also scheduled an exciting series of number of proposals—43 percent more than from the same track, so attendees inevitably presidential panels, including sessions on for the Montréal Congress—we have had to will not be able to visit all the sessions of inequality as it relates to the social sciences, schedule the Rio meeting over three and a interest to them. history, and economics; ecological issues; half days, from Thursday morning through welfare states; the politics of racial/ethnic Sunday morning. This is true even though We are enormously grateful to the chairs of categorization; literature and recent political we shall have a record number of rooms the 35 tracks who reviewed the thousands of turns to the left and right; and new Brazilian available. Except for Sunday, when the proposal submissions for the Rio Congress, and Mexican Cinema. There will also be a sessions will end at noon, the meetings will including those who signed on as second or LARR-sponsored series of workshops on run from 9:00 am until 6:45 pm at the third co-chairs once the volume of scholarly publishing and keynote lectures by Catholic University and will be followed by submissions became clear: Mirta Antonelli several distinguished Brazilian scholars. receptions, probably mainly at the hotels (Culture, Power and Political Subjectivities), (negotiations about venues for receptions Rodrigo Cánovas (Literary Studies: We could not have accomplished our task of continue). Contemporary), Jorge Papadopulos (Politics scheduling all the sessions in Pittsburgh last and Public Policy), Maria Aparecida week without the invaluable preparatory We can also now report that the number of Andrade Salgueiro (Literature and Culture: work and collaboration of Milagros Pereyra- submissions from Brazilian scholars has been Interdisciplinary Approaches), Nestor Rojas, Executive Director of LASA; Monica unprecedented—1663 individual Rodriguez (Crossborder Studies and Davis, the LASA Staff Coordinator for the submissions. Because of this huge response Migration), Gonzalo Rojas-Ortuste (Literary Rio Congress; Sandra Klinzing, Assistant from LASA members, and despite extending Studies: Contemporary), Ben Schneider Director for Institutional Advancement, and the meeting calendar to Sunday, we found it (Economics and Development), and Elliott Israel R. Perlov, Administrative Coordinator. necessary to reject nearly 20 percent of the Young (Transnationalism.) However, As always, Eric Hershberg’s overall vision panels and papers proposed. On the other literally hundreds of panel proposals and and leadership has been essential to the hand, some 7,200 of those who submitted individual paper proposal submissions were Congress planning. proposals will be receiving news of sent to the wrong tracks—something to note acceptance from the Secretariat in late for future Congresses. (Errors were All in all, this promises to be the most October. Please be mindful of the fact that it particularly common for the Culture, Power ambitious and international LASA Congress was only possible to accommodate such a and Political Subjectivities track, which ever! large number of proposals because we have received over a hundred proposals that so many rooms available and therefore can should have gone to political and other run a large number of concurrent sessions. social science tracks.)
Target Dates for LASA2009
December 15, 2008 Deadline to submit changes/corrections for Program Book ([email protected])
January 19, 2009 Notification of travel grant requests (date subject to change based upon availability of funds)
February 15, 2009 Pre-registration deadline
February 15, 2009 Deadline for canceling pre-registration without penalty
March 9, 2009 Deadline to submit electronic paper for Congress proceedings ([email protected])
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CALLING ALL MEMBERS Elections 2008 Nominating Committee Slate
The LASA Nominating Committee presents The Candidates three years, I took my nomination to the the following slate of candidates for vice vice presidency as a challenge and an president and members of the Executive Maria Hermínia Tavares de Almeida is exciting academic endeavor. I consider Council (EC). The winning candidate for Professor at the University of São Paulo LASA an invaluable tool for furthering our vice president will serve in that capacity where she teaches in the Undergraduate common knowledge about Latin America from May 1, 2009 to October 31, 2010 and Program of International Relations and in through exchange between academic fields as president from November 1, 2010 until the Graduate Program of Political Science. and academic communities in the Americas April 30, 2012. The three winning She presently is deputy director of the and, secondarily, elsewhere. LASA is a candidates for EC membership will serve a Institute of International Relations at the successful organization and therefore needs three-year term from May 1, 2009 to April University of São Paulo. She has a little change. In this sense, as vice 30, 2012. Bachelor degree in Social Sciences (1969) president and then president I would and a Ph.D. in Political Science (1979) basically build upon what previous from the University of São Paulo and presidents and ECs have achieved. But Nominees for Vice President: engaged in post-doctoral studies at the since LASA’s success can be interpreted in University of California, Berkeley (1984). different ways, I would like to note the Maria Hermínia Tavares de Almeida Her research interests focus on public achievements that have impressed me and University of São Paulo policies and Brazilian political institutions, that I would further develop. I think Rosemary Thorp especially federal structures and LASA is an academic professional Oxford University intergovernmental relations. She published organization of enormous importance in the book Economic Crisis and Organized the development of shared standards of Interests (São Paulo: Edusp) and some 100 scholarship and should continue to be so. Nominees for Executive Council: articles in academic journals and books, LASA’s main achievement, in my opinion, among which are “Brazil - Privatization: is its capacity to be a multidisciplinary Roberto Blancarte reform through negotiation” and organization where fruitful El Colegio de México “Federalism and social policies in Brazil.” interdisciplinary dialogue is possible. Paul Gootenberg She has been Visiting Researcher at the Multidisciplinary organizations face the Stony Brook University Institute of Latin American Studies, challenges of their diversity. Social University of London (1992); Tinker Sciences and Humanities disciplines have Robert Hoffmann Visiting Professor, Stanford University evolved in quite different—and, German Institute of Global and Area Studies (1996); Visiting Professor, Latin America sometimes, divergent—theoretical, Gwen Kirkpatrick Program, Ortega y Gasset Institute (1999, epistemological and methodological Georgetown University 2000 and 2002); Visiting Professor, directions, besides having their own Political Science Department, Université de internal differences of styles, approaches Nicolas Shumway Montréal (2006). She served on LASA’s and methods. LASA has succeeded in University of Texas Executive Committee (2001-2004) and has including new areas, themes and analytical Kimberly Theidon been President of the Brazilian Political approaches in the academy. The Harvard University Science Association (2006-2008). Association’s present challenge is to draw Presently, she is a member of the Brazilian from its ingrained pluralist tradition to Institute Advisory Council, Woodrow accommodate diversity in ways Wilson Center for Scholars, and of the comfortable to all its members—and International Political Science Association’s especially to create opportunities and Executive Committee. She holds the Brazil venues for a productive intellectual National Order of Scientific Merit (2006). exchange about our shared views on specific topics as well as about divergent Tavares de Almeida Statement views on where Latin American studies are As a longtime LASA member, and having and should head. Although something has served on the Executive Committee for already been done through the LASA
36 Forum, more can be achieved in LARR and America, across the Americas, cannot £300 million. As chair for the last five during our Congresses. LASA decided to replace political and social actors facing years, she led the board of trustees in go South, and that was an important the challenge of taking advantage of having overall responsibility for all of decision. The 2008 Congress, in Rio de favorable conditions to build a better Oxfam GB’s work and strategic thinking. Janeiro, will be a landmark in this process future. But scholars certainly can produce It was an important part of the role to of approaching academic communities knowledge that may help clarify the issues spend as much time as possible gaining dedicated to the study of Latin American at stake. As an academic, professional and experience of Oxfam’s work on the ground issues in different countries across the multidisciplinary organization, able as no and at the policy level. She was ex oficio a Continent. This will happen in an other in the region to bring together an member of the Oxfam International Board. opportune moment, since in the democratic immense array of qualified scholars from Other international experience has systems now prevailing in almost all Latin different countries, fields of knowledge and included three years’ teaching at Berkeley, American countries, Social Sciences and specialization, LASA enjoys a privileged and extensive involvement in a range of Humanities communities are developing in position as it contributes to an educated Latin American countries, but especially the old institutions in which they resisted debate about Latin America’s present Peru, where she has taught and lectured the authoritarian sieges, as well as in new dilemmas and perspectives. widely, and in 2002 was the first holder of ones, at universities or research centers. the Carlos Rodríguez Pastor Visiting Chair Professional academic associations, either at the Catholic University, Lima. The disciplinary or getting together different Rosemary Thorp has been Lecturer and university has recently awarded her an fields, have been established. Many of then Reader in the Economics of Latin honorary degree. She graduated from these can cooperate with LASA and help America at the University of Oxford since Oxford in 1962 in Philosophy, Politics and increase its membership. In countries 1970. She has been a fellow of St Antony’s Economics. Her first major book was an where academic institutions are still weak, College, Oxford, since 1978. In 1995 she economic history of Peru, with Geoff participation in LASA can be of great help elected to move from the Economics Bertram: Peru 1890-1977: Growth and in connecting scattered intellectual department to Queen Elizabeth House, the Policy in an Open Economy, 1978 (also in communities to the international flow of university’s Department of International Spanish). In the 1980s she ran a series of information and knowledge. For scholars Development, to support Frances Stewart comparative economic history workshops living in Latin America, LASA has been a as the new Director, in a move to give new resulting in published volumes, working forum in which their work can reach a life to interdisciplinary development studies closely with Carlos Díaz Alejandro until public well beyond national borders. The in the university. She has held the rotating his death. In 1995 she was invited by Association has also allowed for their post of Director of the Latin American Enrique Iglesias, president of the IDB, to participation in international scholarly Centre for three periods. She has also been write an economic history of Latin networks as partners in building a better acting director, then interim director of America in the twentieth century. She understanding of Latin America within a Queen Elizabeth House. In her period on organised this as a collaborative project, broad comparative perspective. After the Social Science Divisional Board she was building on the earlier workshops, and decades of authoritarianism and economic heavily involved in creating and embedding eventually included some eighty colleagues distress, Latin America may be about to an institutional mechanism to protect area from throughout the Latin Americanist enter a new and promising era. The and development studies in the course of a community. The result was: Progress, combination of growth and democracy major university reform which aimed to Poverty and Exclusion: an Economic creates favorable conditions for countries decentralise and strengthen disciplines. History of Latin America in the Twentieth to begin facing secular problems of She has taught and supervised masters and Century (also published in Spanish, French poverty, inequalities, waste of resources by doctoral students throughout her time and and Portuguese). Other books include: privileged elites—and also new problems been responsible for the development of Economic Doctrines in Latin America: regarding environmental issues, promising new courses. She has had extensive their origin, evolution and embedding paths to sustainable development, ways of voluntary sector and international (edited with Valpy Fitzgerald, 2006); enforcing citizens’ rights and recognizing experience. For seventeen years she was a Group Behaviour and Development (edited the legitimacy of new social identities. trustee of Oxfam GB, a non-governmental with Judith Heyer and Frances Stewart) Scholars devoted to the study of Latin organisation with an annual income of 2005; Decentralising Development: the
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Political Economy of Institutional Change of Chronic Poverty?” World Development our own institutions to grow stronger. in Chile and Colombia. Alan Angell, Pam July 2005 (with Frances Stewart and And as a multi-disciplinary organisation, it Lowden and Rosemary Thorp, 2001; The Amrik Heyer). On retirement from her has to hold in balance the interests of a Export Age: the Latin American university appointment, she will remain as shifting disciplinary composition of its Economies in the late nineteenth and early research associate in Queen Elizabeth membership: again an inherent tension twentieth centuries (edited with Enrique House, and as Emeritus Fellow, St Antony’s requiring management. Perhaps here my Cárdenas and José Antonio Ocampo, College. experience in Oxfam would help me, 2000, also in Spanish); Industrialization should I be elected: Oxfam is an and the State in Latin America: the Black Thorp Statement organisation abounding in such tensions— Legend and the Post-War Years (edited I have been an enthusiastic supporter of between the claims of advocacy, with Enrique Cárdenas and José Antonio LASA throughout my career, for the same humanitarian need and long-run on-the- Ocampo, 2000, also in Spanish); Economic reason as I have chosen to dedicate my ground development work, or again in Management and Economic Development career in Oxford to building Oxfam International, as a confederation of in Peru and Colombia, 1991 (also in interdisciplinary studies, and in particular 14 Oxfams. Oxfam and running my Spanish); with L.Whitehead (eds.), Latin Latin American Studies. As an economist I College’s governing body have also shaped American Debt and the Adjustment Crisis, learnt in working on Peru that rooting my my view of governance. My career has 1987 (also in Spanish); Latin America in interpretation of the economy in the taught me that consensus needs to be built the 1930’s: The Role of the Periphery in history, society, politics, geography and and valued but in non-manipulative ways. World Crisis (ed), 1984 (also in Spanish); culture of the region gave me insights and The leadership needs to be strong in with L. Whitehead (eds.), Inflation and understanding that I relished. And as values: I hope LASA will always continue Stabilization in Latin America, 1979. Her many of us have found, Latin America is to be characterised by respect for human recent research has returned to Peru and also a continent that engages and doesn’t rights. I have always admired it as a become more interdisciplinary in nature. let go: the bonds of friendship and professional organisation for strength and She is working on the persistence of affection I have developed have sustained clarity on issues of human rights. The inequality, and especially the role of my commitment to Latin American Studies decision not to meet in the United States inequality between groups, above all ethnic and therefore to LASA. The latter allows while this would prevent the attendance of groups. Recent articles from this work are: people like me to mix and cooperate, and Cuban colleagues is a good example. And “Collective Action, Gender and Ethnicity defends the ‘space’ of interdisciplinarity in finally, the leadership needs to be creative in Peru: a case study of the comedores a world where increasingly complex and self-critical in being genuinely populares,” not yet published, available disciplinary training can appear to threaten inclusive. In short, I see LASA as more from the author; “Group Inequalities and it. The growing complexity of disciplinary needed than ever, while it faces huge the Nature and Power of Collective Action: work is only one among many challenges challenges to maintain quality and defend Case studies from Peru,” with Ismael which LASA faces and where I would seek the field. If I were elected, it would give Muñoz and Maritza Paredes, World to help. The organisation faces new me enormous satisfaction to try to help it Development Nov. 2007; “Inequality, challenges as Asia and Africa appear to on its way. Ethnicity, Political Mobilisation and absorb the attention of policy makers and Political Violence in Latin America: the funders alike. It faces new challenges as it cases of Bolivia, Guatemala and Peru,” grows—sheer numbers threaten to Roberto J. Blancarte (born in Mazatlán, with Corinne Caumartin and George Gray- overwhelm efforts at dialogue and Mexico in 1957) is Professor and Director Molina, Bulletin of Latin American communication. It has always faced of the Center of Sociological Studies at El Research, 2006; “Acción Colectiva, special in-built tensions. As a professional Colegio de México in Mexico City. He Violencia Política y Etnicidad en el Perú,” organisation originating outside Latin obtained his Ph.D. at the Écoles des Hautes with Ismael Muñoz and Maritza Paredes, America, LASA has a delicate Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris, France Lima 2006; Cuadernos de Investigación responsibility to support and enrich (1988). Founder and main counselor of Política Nº 1, Department of Politics, academic life within Latin America, not the Interdisciplinary Program for the Study Catholic University, Lima; “When and stifle it in some dependency nightmare. of Religions (PIER) of El Colegio How Far is Group Formation a Route out This is an in-built tension as we all want Mexiquense in Zinacantepec, Mexico.
38 Associate researcher of the Groupe region of Latin America, is simultaneously since 1991, contributing to the growth of Sociétés, Religions, Laïcités in France. host to both a Western and a non-Western its international Ph.D. program in Latin Member of the National Committee of society. I tried to explain that Mexico, like American history. My early work, in Bioethics (2006-2007) and the National many other Latin American or Caribbean books like Between Silver and Guano: Comission to Prevent Discrimination of countries, experiences modernity or post- Commercial Policy and the State in Mexico (2005-2008). He has been modernity with all the ambivalence and Postindependence Peru (Princeton, 1989), counselor at the Mexican Embassy to the paradoxes of any country that was looked at the political economy of early Holy See and Chief of Staff of the Vice- colonized and partially Westernized. Latin American state formation from the ministry of Religious Affairs. His research Precisely because of that, Latin America angle of historical sociology. In recent work has dealt with sociology of religion, could and should be a perfect reminder years I have published widely in the particularly Church-State relations, that theories devised to explain particular emerging field of drug history: my new secularisation, “laicity” and lately around situations are not always automatically book, Andean Cocaine: The Making of a the connection between secular State and applicable in general. Furthermore—I Global Drug (UNC Press, 2009), uses a sexual and reproductive rights. He has stated—in order to achieve global reach, global commodity lens on cocaine’s long- been Visiting Professor at Dartmouth concepts and theories should incorporate term history. As the director of Latin College (NH, USA) and the École Pratique particular experiences. “Theory American and Caribbean Studies at Stony des Hautes Études (France). Author and construction can then become a two-way Brook (2000-05), I developed a Rockefeller editor of several books, including Historia process, not only in the sense of a dialogue Foundation funded program on “Durable de la Iglesia católica en México (1992); between theory and empirical data— Inequalities in Latin America” which tried Religión, Iglesias y democracia (1995); between analysis and facts—but also to shed new historical and cultural light on Laicidad y valores en un estado between the different experiences of this central dilemma of Latin American democrático (2000); Afganistán, la Western, semi-Western and non-Western societies and social sciences. Over the past revolución islámica frente al mundo societies.” I insisted that I perceived this as decade, I have been active in a number of occidental (2001); El sucesor de Juan a permanent dialogue between different projects at the Social Science Research Pablo II: Escenarios y candidatos del perspectives in an attempt to create Council, which keeps me close to my próximo cónclave (2002); Entre la fe y el universal tools for a broader understanding interdisciplinary roots. I live in Brooklyn poder: Política y religión en México of society: we could call this a “system of and have two young kids. (2004); Sexo, religión y democracia (2008); cultural mirrors in social sciences” that Los retos de la laicidad y la secularización would seek to elaborate new universal Gootenberg Statement en el mundo contemporáneo (2008); Para paradigms, theories and concepts. This is As LASA continues to vigorously grow and entender el Estado laico (2008) and how I see the role of the Latin American diversify in the 21st century, we need to numerous articles in scientific reviews. He Studies Association. If elected to the continually expand its global reach and writes weekly a column on politics and Executive Council, I would like to promote inclusiveness. LASA must continue to religion for a national newspaper in that direction this important and foster the participation and leadership of (Milenio) and participates actively in local inevitable exchange, in order to increase Latin American and Caribbean scholars, as politics, particularly around the subject of the understanding of our societies and of well as reach out concertedly to younger civil freedoms. our disciplines. scholars, such as graduate students. LASA can act as a wide bridge between the area Blancarte Statement studies tradition, with its keen sense of A few years ago, I was asked by James Paul Gootenberg place, history, and culture, and the Beckford and N. J. Demerath III, to I trained as an historian in the early 1980s diversity of disciplinary and theoretical contribute a chapter to the Handbook on at St. Antony’s College, Oxford and the traditions from which we come. As the Sociology of Religion (Sage, 2007). What University of Chicago, specializing in the United States enters this more hopeful I finally said in that contribution was that Andes and Mexico. Those two institutions stage of its political life in 2009, socially- one of the good reasons for analyzing left me with an indelible appreciation for informed scholarship may indeed make a Mexico’s religion and society is the fact vibrant interdisciplinary communities. I difference. LASA can help shape the that the country, and in fact the entire have taught at Stony Brook University renewed public debates that will
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undoubtedly ensue about an informed, of this initiative, the Journal of Politics in Hoffmann Statement multilateral, multicultural, and constructive Latin America (JPLA) will be launched at It is a great honor to have been nominated engagement with the world, including of the beginning of 2009 as a new and to serve on LASA’s Executive Council. course Latin America. ambitious open-access journal with an Over the Association’s history we have international editorial team and board (see witnessed its impressive growth and www.jpla.org). Hoffmann’s publications transformation from a U.S. organization Bert Hoffmann is vice-director of the include, among others, Debating Cuban into a truly international forum for all Institute of Latin American Studies at the Exceptionalism (coedited with Laurence scholars working on Latin America, German Institute of Global and Area Whitehead), New York/London: Palgrave wherever they reside. The choice of Rio de Studies (GIGA) in Hamburg, Germany. He 2007; Cuba. Apertura y reforma Janeiro as the site for the upcoming studied at the Free University of Berlin, económica. Perfil de un debate. Caracas: Congress perfectly symbolizes how strong where he received his doctorate in political Nueva Sociedad 1995; and numerous and successful the participation of scholars science with a thesis on the politics of the journal articles and book chapters such as from Latin America has become. In this Internet in Third World development. “Why Reform Fails: The ‘Politics of context, LASA’s longstanding commitment After working as a journalist he joined the Policies’ in Costa Rican to scholarly exchanges with Cuba obliges Institute of Iberoamerican Studies in Telecommunications Liberalization,” in the association to take a strong public Hamburg as a researcher in 1993. In 1998 European Review of Latin American and stance against U.S. restrictions on travel to he became assistant professor at the Latin Caribbean Studies No. 84, April 2008; and from the island. If elected, I would American Institute of the Free University of “Los retos del desarrollo social en la era strive to contribute to LASA’s development Berlin, and since 2003 he has been a senior digital,” in Müller, Ulrich / Bodemer, Klaus with three priority concerns: researcher at the GIGA Institute of Latin (eds.): Nuevos paradigmas de desarrollo American Studies. A LASA member since para América Latina; Hamburg 2004; 1) Reaching out beyond the Americas: In 1998, he currently serves as secretary of “Transformation and Continuity in Cuba,” addition to the continuing outreach to the LASA’s Europe-Latin America Section. in Review of Radical Political Economics, academic communities in Latin America, Over the course of his career, Hoffman has Vol. 33, No. 1, Elsevier 2001; LASA’s drive to become a fully global worked on a diverse range of issues in a “¿Subvirtiendo los ‘intereses nacionales’? association should aim to include an variety of settings, both in academia and Los latinos y la política exterior de EE enhanced presence of scholarship on Latin beyond. In 1998 he was awarded a UU,” in Ingrid Wehr (Hg.): Un continente America from Europe, Asia, Africa, and research grant from the Instituto Rio en movimiento: Migraciones en América Oceania. Branco in Brasília. He was invited to be a Latina, Frankfurt/M., Madrid: Vervuert visiting scholar at Nuffield College, Oxford 2006; “How Do you Download 2) Coping with size: As proud as LASA University from February to April 2007. Democracy? Potential and Limitations of should be of its growth, the ever-increasing And in 2007/08 he was a visiting professor the Internet for Advancing Citizens’ rights number of members and Congress at the Free University of Berlin’s in the Third World: Lessons from Latin participants also poses new challenges. “Governance in Areas of Limited America,” in Internationale Politik und The creation of LASA Sections has been a Statehood” research center. Alongside his Gesellschaft - International Politics and vital step in the past, and an expanded role academic research, he has also worked for Society, 3/2005; “Cuba: Civil Society for the Sections within LASA’s activities or advised NGOs in the fields of solidarity Within Socialism—and its Limits,” in and Congresses could help cope with and human rights, and has served as a Henke, Holger / Reno, Fred (ed.): Modern growth-related challenges. At the same consultant on development cooperation. In Political Culture in the Caribbean; time, LASA should strengthen its core his role as academic coordinator of GIGA’s Barbados et al.: University of the West identity as a professional association in publications, Bert Hoffmann led the GIGA Indies Press 2003. From 1993 to 2005 he which scholars from all relevant disciplines to embrace open-access publishing; this has was coeditor of the German-language Latin and from the most diverse approaches find culminated in the current transformation America yearbook Lateinamerika Analysen an intellectual home. This should also lead of the institute’s five area-focused journals und Berichte. to renewed efforts to build bridges with from print and subscription periodicals scholars from the discipline of economics. into full open-access publications. As part While we seem to have become accustomed
40 to the rather marginal presence of this director, department chair, and most throughout the hemisphere. The shift discipline within LASA over the years, this recently teaching in the LAS graduate among disciplines within LASA reflects remains an unsatisfactory situation given program at Georgetown. She has received changes within the disciplines themselves, the truly interdisciplinary approach we NEH, Fulbright, and UC Humanities where some fields no longer encourage need in area studies and for which LASA Center fellowships and has been a reviewer area specializations. To maintain the stands. for fellowship programs of the Ford vitality of true multidisciplinarity, however, Foundation, NEH, Fulbright, ACLS, and LASA must encourage the widest range of 3) Open access: LASA is committed to the SSRC. From 1999 to 2001 she resided in disciplinary participation. LASA has been democratization of scholarly Santiago, Chile, as director of the fairly successful at incorporating recently communication and to overcoming barriers University of California Education Abroad formed or emergent disciplines, such as that restrict access to the results of Program. This fall she is also teaching a U.S. Latino studies or sexuality studies, but research. It is precisely these goals that are graduate seminar at the University of less successful in retaining the interest of at the core of the open-access movement, Maryland in addition to her teaching scholars in, say, agricultural economics or which has been spreading dynamically in duties at Georgetown University. political science. How do we structure an Latin America and other parts of the world organizational discourse that is inclusive of in recent years. Accordingly, I would like Kirkpatrick Statement disciplines that do not share a culturalist LASA to engage in a more active debate LASA has long attracted members from language? The third issue is a critical one, about the promotion of open-access several disciplines. This juxtaposition and for LASA will be much impoverished publishing—a matter that pertains directly interaction among the disciplines have without the inclusion of scholars focusing to the professional interests of the produced LASA’s astounding growth and primarily or partly on Brazil. LASA should Association’s members. vitality in recent years. I see three primary work toward promoting competence in challenges for LASA. One of LASA’s Portuguese as well as Spanish for challenges is to confront the asymmetry of specialists of Latin America. Such a Gwen Kirkpatrick (U Alabama, BA1971; an organization focused on Latin America, posture might go a long way in Princeton U, PhD 1979) is Professor of but whose membership resides largely in reincorporating Brazilianist scholars within Spanish at Georgetown University since the United States. Another is to recognize LASA. 2004. Her publications include: Dissonant the membership shift among the Legacy of Modernismo, the co-authored disciplines, with a much larger percentage Women, Culture and Politics in Latin now in the humanities. A third is to Nicolas Shumway has enjoyed a long and America, and editions and co-editions on continue to address the need to include varied career as a scholar, teacher, Sarmiento, Lugones, and Guiraldes. Her Brazil and the Portuguese language as a administrator, and musician. As an most recent publications are studies on the central part of LASA’s range. LASA’s undergraduate at BYU, he majored in contemporary poetry of Carmen Berenguer, leadership has vigorously addressed the Spanish and Music, after which he Francisco Leal and Lorenzo Helguero; the first issue, the asymmetry with Latin completed an MA and a PhD at UCLA in novels of Diamela Eltit; and nineteenth America itself, and has attempted to Hispanic Languages and Literatures. century literature and culture. In 2008 she incorporate participants from Latin While his doctoral major was in literature, was elected president of the Instituto America in meaningful ways, through he accrued sufficient course credits for a Internacional de Literatura Iberoamericana. collaborative projects, publications, and second doctoral major in Hispanic She has served on editorial boards of conference attendance. This is an ongoing linguistics. He has continued active in all Revista Iberoamericana, LARR, Revista de challenge. Attention to the dynamics of these fields. His language textbook, Crítica Literaria Latinoamericana, and publishing in both the United States and Español en Español, which went through other journals, and is a contributor to the Latin America is an area that could four successful editions, grew out of his Handbook of Latin American Studies. At potentially engage members and potential interest in applied linguistics. Similarly, he Georgetown and at UC Berkeley, where she participants in meaningful dialogue. continues active in music performance and taught 1982-2003, she has been an active Additionally, the wave of creation of new for several years sang professionally with collaborator in Latin American Studies, as doctoral programs in Latin America can be the Roger Wagner Chorale and the Los CLAS graduate director and center a way to evaluate graduate education Angeles Master Chorale. He has also held
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NOMINATING COMMITTEE SLATE continued…
positions of choir director and organist in scholar, Prof. Shumway has written widely While challenging traditional disciplinary several churches. In 1976, he began his on Hispanic literature, Hispanic cultural methods and boundaries is both healthy first tenure-track teaching position at history, and language teaching. Still in and necessary, let’s not forget that Indiana University Northwest. Two years print, his book The Invention of Argentina academic rigor is often linked to the later, he accepted a position at Yale received honorable mention for the LASA standards of traditional disciplines. No University where he taught literature and Bryce Wood Prize. It was also selected by one should feel that LASA has moved applied linguistics while also directing the The New York Times as a “Notable Book beyond them, or that there is not a place in Yale Spanish language program. He was of the Year.” The book was later translated LASA for any academically responsible promoted to Associate Professor with into Spanish and published in Argentina debate, including debates on politics. Tenure at Yale in 1987 and to Full under the slightly amended title, La LASA must also welcome new ways of Professor in 1992. In 1993 he accepted his invención de la Argentina: historia de una approaching Latin America, ways that current appointment at the University of idea. A revised and expanded edition of make room for discussions on gender, Texas at Austin as the Tomás Rivera the Spanish edition was published in sexuality, ethnicity, race, and new Regents Professor of Spanish Literature Argentina in 2005, a Portuguese theoretical approaches. Similarly, we must and Language. In 1995, he was appointed translation of which just appeared in also continue developing strategies for Director of the Teresa Lozano Long Brazil. He has also published on a variety including the traditionally excluded. LASA Institute of Latin American Studies of Hispanic authors, including Pedro must continue its efforts to become a (LLILAS) at UT-Austin, a position he held Calderón de la Barca, José Joaquín de genuinely global organization. We need for eleven years, during which he Lizardi, Ricardo Palma, Teresa de la Parra, particularly to cultivate institutional submitted four applications for NRC and Raúl Scalabrini Ortiz, Tomás Eloy contacts with universities throughout the FLAS funding under the NEA Title VI Martínez and—an enduring favorite— world and particularly in Latin America. programs, all of them successful. As Jorge Luis Borges. As a citizen in the LASA should develop aggressive director, he expanded LLILAS programs profession, Professor Shumway has long fundraising strategies to underwrite the and was instrumental in securing been active in LASA and the Modern needs of a global organization in which not endowment and grant funding that has Language Association. He has served on all partners have the same economic helped maintain UT’s international several key MLA committees, including the wherewithal. While LASA has a good prominence in Latin American Studies. Committee on Rights and Responsibilities, record for supporting research, we should He also enjoyed frequent interaction with the Radio Program Committee, and most pay more attention to teaching. For other NRC directors and developed a recently the MLA Executive Council. example, the most likely place for students broad understanding of all that Latin to first encounter Latin American topics is American Studies entails. In fall of 2006, Shumway Statement in language classrooms. Language- he stepped down as Director of LLILAS to I begin with dos grandes obviedades: Latin teaching professionals have been talking become Chair of the Department of America is a very big place, and Latin about “language across the curriculum” for Spanish and Portuguese, a position he American Studies is a very big subject some time. LASA needs to cultivate a continues to hold, although he is on consisting of myriad sub-subjects, many corresponding interest in how specialists in research leave for the current academic waiting to be thought of. However anthropology, history or gender studies year. Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, he obvious these statements might be, they might enrich language instruction. has held visiting appointments in Brazil at suggest a direction for LASA that I will Similarly, LASA should continue exploring the Universidade de São Paulo and in promote, that direction being one that can ways for bringing technological Argentina at the Universidad Torcuato di include as many topics, institutions, and innovations into the classroom to enhance Tella and the Universidad de San Andrés. people as academic responsibility will collaborative learning and research, and He thus would bring to the LASA EC an allow. With this in mind, I list below areas give both students and scholars greater unusually broad range of experience that I would support as a member of the EC. control of digital research materials and includes directing a language program, LASA must continue to provide space for methods. But most of all, LASA must heading a major center in Latin American traditional disciplines to discuss explore, continue being an organization where Studies, and chairing a large and highly challenge and enhance their particular defenders of all approaches to Latin regarded academic department. As a approaches to Latin American subjects. American Studies can meet, discuss,
42 disagree and learn in an environment of Theidon Statement mutual concern and respect. For indeed, Sería un privilegio servir como miembro Latin America is a very big place, and del Comité Executivo de LASA, y trabajar Latin American Studies is a very big para hacer la organización más relevante subject. por nuestr@s colegas quienes viven en Latinoamérica. Mi enfoque sería en elaborar más oportunidades y formas de Kimberly Theidon is a medical apoyo para jóvenes investigadores, anthropologist focusing on Latin America. especialmente aquellos que viven afuera de Her research interests include political las grandes capitales de sus países y por lo violence, forms and theories of subjectivity, tanto tienen menos acceso a las redes transitional justice, and human rights. transnacionales de becas, estudios pos- From 2001-2003 she directed a research grado y mentoring. Los intercambios project on community mental health, académicos han tendido a favorecer a los y reparations and the micropolitics of las alumnos norteamericanos, pero los reconciliation with the Ayacuchan office of intercambios unidirecionales empobrecen the Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation nuestros diálogos intelectuales y oscurecen Commission. A book based upon this los importantes aportes teóricos research, Entre Prójimos: el conflicto producidos afuera de los centros de poder armado interno y la política de la académico y económico. En colaboración reconciliación en el Perú, was published in con colegas quienes comparten mi 2004 by the Instituto de Estudios compromiso, intentaré establecer un Peruanos. Her second book, Intimate programa que sea sostenible y contribuya a Enemies: Violence and Reconciliation in multiplicar las oportunidades disponibles a Peru, is forthcoming from Stanford jóvenes investigadores y, en turno, University Press. Dr. Theidon is currently diversificar lo que se considera conducting research in Colombia and “conocimiento”. Ecuador on two interrelated themes: the causes and consequences of populations in displacement, refuge and return, with a particular interest in the role of humanitarian organizations in zones of armed conflict; and the paramilitary demobilization process in Colombia. She is the director of Praxis Institute for Social Justice, and is an Associate professor of Anthropology at Harvard University.
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43 lasaforum FALL 2008 : VOLUME XXXIX : ISSUE 4
LASA SECTIONS
Section News
LASA2009: Call for Travel Grant How to Apply Increase in Section Membership Fees Applications Eligible candidates must apply no later than For the first time since LASA Sections were The Environment Section of the Latin Monday, January 5, 2009, submitting via established in 1998, the fee for Section American Studies Association is pleased to email a brief (350-word maximum) membership will increase from $8 to $10 announce that it will award two US$ 800.00 statement. This should include information commencing with the 2009 membership grants to help defray the costs of travel to about the applicant’s participation in year. For each $10 individual payment, $6 LASA2009 in Rio de Janeiro (June 11–13). LASA2009; the date and institution of the will be placed in the account of the Section, Awardees will be selected by a three-person highest degree obtained; current professional and $4 will be kept with the Secretariat to committee composed of current members of position; and country of permanent help defray the cost of service to the the Environment Section’s executive board. residence. Sections. The dues increase approved by the LASA EC at its June 2008 meeting is meant The following supporting materials are to assist Sections in raising funds for travel Eligibility required as attachments: 1) an abstract of grants to the LASA Congress. Sections are the paper accepted for delivery at the encouraged to use some portion of their Applicants must have been accepted as paper LASA2009 meeting; 2) a one-page funds for this purpose whenever possible. presenters at the LASA Rio Congress and be curriculum vita; and 3) a budget detailing permanent residents of a country in Latin expected costs and other potential sources of America or the Caribbean. Commentators funding. All application materials (in or panel chairs will not be funded. Priority English, Portuguese, or Spanish) must be will be given to junior researchers (pre- sent via email to tenure academics or their equivalent for non-academic professionals). Membership Environment Section co-chairs Sherrie Baver in LASA and the Environment Section is ([email protected]) and Kate required. Visit McCaffrey ([email protected]. http://lasa.international.pitt.edu/eng/members edu). Attachments may be sent in Microsoft hip/ for membership information. Word, Adobe PDF or plain text format.
44 PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL NOTES
In Memoriam by JOHN H. COATSWORTH | Columbia University
Charles Adams Hale, the preeminent intellectual forebears of Mexico’s leading about social issues and eventually espoused historian of Mexican liberalism and father of thinkers not to expose them as pale an independent Supreme Court as a LASA’s immediate past president, died on reflections of European influence, but to protection against dictatorship. Charles September 29 in Seattle at the age of 78. understand their originality by showing how manages to account for Rabasa’s enduring and even why they accepted some ideas, influence without suppressing any of the Charles was born in Minneapolis on June 5, modified others, and rejected the rest. contractions and ambiguities. In doing so, 1930. A history major and Phi Beta Kappa he connects the focus of his life’s work to graduate of Amherst College in 1951, he Charles’s second book, The Transformation Mexico’s equally contradictory and returned to Minneapolis to earn an MA in of Liberalism in Late Nineteenth-Century ambiguous contemporary dilemmas. History in 1952 at the University of Mexico, appeared in 1989 as the intellectual Minnesota. He married Lenore Rice, Lenny terrain was moving through another epochal Charles’s scholarship was matched by a to her legion of friends, the next fall. After earthquake. The Spanish edition of his first genuine warmth and kindness to colleagues a Fulbright year in Strasbourg, the Hales book had won him a slowly liberalizing as well as students that became legendary at moved to New York City where Charles Mexico’s prestigious Fray Bernardino de Iowa and known everywhere. He served, entered the doctoral program at Columbia Sahagún Prize; his second took the Bolton quite without realizing it, as an example to University and studied with Frank Prize, awarded by the Conference on Latin many of us. He believed in the power of Tannenbaum whose papers formed the basis American History (CLAH) for the best book ideas. His integrity never faltered. He kept for a penetrating 1995 article in the Hispanic in English that year on any aspect Latin his mind open without sacrificing his American Historical Review. After receiving American history. Transformation brought standards. Honors and distinctions left him his Ph.D. in 1957 and journeying to brief Mexican liberalism into the twentieth more modest than before. teaching posts at the University of North century in a wide ranging and incisive Carolina, Lehigh, and Amherst, Charles analysis of the interactions between Charles was immensely proud of his four settled in Iowa City where he became the modernization, dictatorship, and the world children. The preface to Emilio Rabasa Latin American historian in the University of of ideas both foreign and domestic. By the concludes by thanking Lenny, his wife of 56 Iowa’s History Department until his time it was published, Charles had already years, for “constructive criticism, good retirement in 1998. received the Order of the Aztec Eagle, the judgment, and unbounded love.” A highest award Mexico can bestow on a Memorial Service will be held in Seattle on Intellectual history punishes beginners foreign citizen, and had been elected to the October 18. The family has suggested that because it demands both erudition and Mexican Academy of History. in lieu of flowers, colleagues and friends can subtlety, qualities that come only with much make donations in his name either to the hard work and more time than most can Charles’s last book, Emilio Rabasa and the Seattle Parks Foundation “for a memorial give. Charles’s dissertation on “The Problem Survival of Porfirian Liberalism: The Man, bench” (860 Terry Avenue North, Suite 231, of Independence in Mexican Thought, 1821- His Career, and His Ideas, 1856-1930, Seattle, WA 98109) or to LASA for a 1853” would have made an important book arrived at my office just days before Charles memorial scholarship for advanced study of without any further work, but the book he died. It follows the “transformed” Mexican history (LASA, 416 Bellefield Hall, actually published in 1968, Mexican liberalism of the Porfirian elite into the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA Liberalism in the Age of Mora, 1821-1853, Revolution of 1910 and through the 1920s 15260). became an illuminating classic that defined by focusing on a single resilient individual. an entire field. By the time the book Rabasa, as Charles shows, never lost his appeared, liberalism—however defined— belief in a “scientific politics” ordered by was rapidly disappearing from intellectual constitutional norms and managed by an and political landscapes in Europe and the oligarchy of the competent, but he had an United States and throughout Latin America. unusual capacity to adapt to new Charles persisted almost stubbornly not circumstances, including the new because his eyes were closed, but because he “revolutionary” regime. He never lost his could see farther than most of us. His belief that Mexico’s indigenous people were method was comparative, seeking the ill-suited to modernization, but he worried
45
Harrington Professorship Job Announcement MODERN LATIN AMERICA. The History Department at The Institute for the Study of the Americas at the University of North Stony Brook University invites applications for an advanced Carolina at Chapel Hill
LASA’s mission is to foster intellectual discussion, research, and teaching on Latin America, the Caribbean, and its people throughout the Americas, promote the interests of its diverse membership, and encourage civic engagement through network building and public debate. Nonprofit Org. US POSTAGE PAID Pittsburgh, PA 416 Bellefield Hall Permit No. 511 University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA 15260
lasa.international.pitt.edu