"Retaking economy": reflections on the idea of Latin American subaltern movements

Abstract

It is not exactly a new debate the one that reflects on the inadequacy of European and American theories of social movements. At the beginning of the 60’s, these theories allowed the economic dimension of life to be pushed into the background in their formulations and analysis. In this context, if the aim of the analysis is to understand the reality behind social movements in Latin America, it is then essential to reckon the economic dimension as one that truly matters, thus cannot be excluded. Why have economic matters "disappeared" from the discussions of social transformation, and the social movements, since the 60’s? Why is it necessary to "retake economy" in discussions about social movements, in the Latin American context? In a qualitative effort, supported by both, a bibliographic research and a comparative case study, this study explores and states the following: the Latin American subaltern condition prevents the analysis of social movements in the region from advancing rigorously without considering the economic dimension; and, once this dimension has been considered in the analysis, a whole field of practical experiences is inscribed as experiences of Latin American subaltern movements.