Religious Diversity, Popular Religions and Multiple Modernities

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristián Parker Gumucio
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Theoretical Approach ◽  
Religious Diversity ◽  
Western History ◽  
Multiple Modernities ◽  
Northern European ◽  
Historical Processes ◽  
The World ◽  
Independent Churches

Religious diversity and pluralism are increasing in Latin America. The religious field that some decades ago was mainly Catholic has changed radically. In addition to Pentecostalism and Neo-Pentecostalism, other Evangelical as well as independent churches of various denominations and forms, non-affiliated believers, and many diverse (ethnic, Afro-American, New Age, etc.) and diffuse religious expressions are growing. These religious changes toward pluralism can be understood from a revised theory of multiple modernities. The classical sociological concepts and theories, beginning with secularization, need to be criticized and replaced with a new theoretical approach. Latin American historical processes must be compared with what is happening in other regions of the world and not only with Western history. To understand key changes, popular religions worldwide need to be carefully analyzed. Latin American religions offer a good example of popular forms of religious revitalization that are useful to contrast with the Northern European case. This comparative exercise demonstrates new ways of producing sense and spiritual search in non-Western geocultural areas that are framing specific relationships between religion and modernities, bringing about new religious pluralisms.

scholarly journals Popular religions and multiple modernities

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (25) ◽  
pp. 38-57
Author(s):  
Cristián Parker
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Eastern Asia ◽  
World Religions ◽  
Multiple Modernities ◽  
Sociological Approach ◽  
Northern European ◽  
Historical Processes ◽  
Theoretical View ◽  
Independent Churches ◽  
Multiple Interactions

Religious diversity and pluralism is increasing in Latin America. The religious field that was some decades ago totally Catholic has changed radically. Not only Pentecostalism or NeoPentecostalism but other Evangelicals as well as independent churches of various denominations and forms, non-affiliated people and many diverse (ethnic, afro-American , New Age, etc.) and diffuse religious expressions are growing. The main argument of this paper is that this religious changes toward pluralism can be fully understood in the context of multiple modernities theory, provided that it be revised and modified. A new sociological approach is needed. The classical sociological concepts and theories, beginning with secularization, must be criticized and replaced with a more complex theoretical view. Latin American historical processes must be compared with what is happening in other regions of the world and not only with the West. World religions are answering each one by their own path to multiple interactions with modernities. The key understanding of changes must come from a better insight of popular religions worldwide. Latin American, Eastern Asia, Islam regions, are good examples of popular forms of religious revitalization that contrasts with the Northern European case. They put in evidence the fact that new ways of producing sense and spiritual search in non-Western geo-cultural areas are framing specific relationships between religion and modernities and bringing about new religious pluralisms.

scholarly journals PRAISE OF THE CONVERT: BELIEVE AND BELONG FROM THE CATHOLICITY OF LATIN AMERICA

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-339
Author(s):  
Felipe Gaytán Alcalá
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Political Life ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
The Church

Latin America was considered for many years the main bastion of Catholicism in the world by the number of parishioners and the influence of the church in the social and political life of the región, but in recent times there has been a decrease in the catholicity index. This paper explores three variables that have modified the identity of Catholicism in Latin American countries. The first one refers to the conversion processes that have expanded the presence of Christian denominations, by analyzing the reasons that revolve around the sense of belonging that these communities offer and that prop up their expansion and growth. The second variable accounts for those Catholics who still belong to the Catholic Church but who in their practices and beliefs have incorporated other magical or esoteric scheme in the form of religious syncretisms, modifying their sense of being Catholics in the world. The third factor has a political reference and has to do with the concept of laicism, a concept that sets its objective, not only in the separation of the State from the Church, but for historical reasons in catholicity restraint in the public space which has led to the confinement of the Catholic to the private, leaving other religious groups to occupy that space.

scholarly journals A call to arms: time to do cognitive science in Latin America

2008 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Marmolejo-Ramos
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Cognitive Psychology ◽  
Cognitive Science ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
World Region ◽  
The World ◽  
Social Organizational ◽  
Research Domains

Previous theoretical reviews about the development of Psychology in Latin America suggest that Latin American psychology has a promising future. This paper empirically checks whether that status remains justified. In so doing, the frequency of programs/research domains in three salient psychological areas is assessed in Latin America and in two other regions of the world. A chi-square statistic is used to analyse the collected data. Programs/research domains and regions of the world are the independent variables and frequency of programs/research domains per world region is the dependent variable. Results suggest that whereas in Latin America the work on Social/Organizational Psychology is moving within expected parameters, there is a rather strong focus on Clinical/Psychoanalytical Psychology. Results also show that Experimental/Cognitive Psychology is much underestimated. In Asia, however, the focus on all areas of psychology seems to be distributed within expected parameters, whereas Europe outperforms regarding Experimental/Cognitive Psychology research. Potential reasons that contribute to Latin Americas situation are discussed and specific solutions are proposed. It is concluded that the scope of Experimental/Cognitive Psychology in Latin America should be broadened into a Cognitive Science research program.

Latin America and the World Economy: Some Observations on External Indebtedness and the International Monetary System

1978 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-339
Author(s):  
Aldo Ferrer
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
World Economy ◽  
International Monetary System ◽  
Import Substitution ◽  
External Debt ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
Balance Of Payments ◽  
Adjustment Process ◽  
The World

Since 1973 most of the Latin American countries have experienced deterioration in their balance of payments due to the economic recession in the industrial countries and the oil price increases. The consequent adjustment process has called for stricter regulation of domestic demand and new advances in import substitution. Adjustment was less painful due to access to private financing in the international capital markets which, however, produced a sharp increase in the external debt.This article does not propose to review the recent patterns of external payments, already extensively analyzed in the periodic reports of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America, the International Monetary Fund, and in other studies. Rather, it will attempt to emphasize some long-term changes in the world economy and in Latin America that influence the international participation of the region. It is in this context that the adjustment process of the balance of payments and the external debt should be evaluated.

Human Understanding and Local Interests: Occidentalism and the (Latin) American Argument

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter D. Mignolo
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
World System ◽  
Hierarchical Structures ◽  
The World ◽  
Human Understanding

This chapter outlines a map of the border of the empires whose tensions contributed to the fabrication of a homogeneous notion of Latin America in the colonial horizon of modernity. These conflicting homogeneous entities are part of the imaginary of the modern/colonial world system. They are the grounding of a system of geopolitical values, of racial configurations, and of hierarchical structures of meaning and knowledge. To think “Latin America” otherwise, in its heterogeneity rather than in its homogeneity, in the local histories of changing global designs is not to question a particular form of identification but all national/colonial forms of identification in the modern/colonial world system. These are precisely the forms of identification that contribute to the reproduction of the imaginary of the modern/colonial world system and the coloniality of power and knowledge implicit in the geopolitical articulation of the world.

Where It All Began

2021 ◽  
pp. 81-103
Author(s):  
Brian Wampler ◽  
Stephanie McNulty ◽  
Michael Touchton
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Community Mobilization ◽  
Policy Tool ◽  
Large N ◽  
The World ◽  
Citizen Empowerment ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Justice Program ◽  
The Rich

Latin America is PB’s birthplace and the region where it was first widely adopted. PB currently exists in almost every country of this region of the world. This chapter documents PB development in Brazil, its spread from Brazil to other countries as well as PB’s transformation since the 1990s, when it changed from a social justice program to a policy tool that promotes citizen empowerment and community mobilization. Latin America also led the way with the first mandated programs, as Peru’s national government was the first country in the world to require that all subnational governments adopt PB. Latin American PB programs are among the most studied in the world, which means that solid research findings identify when and where PB produces significant social and political change. Most importantly, there are many comparative, longitudinal, and large-N studies from Brazil that demonstrate that PB is generating positive change. But, research on other countries, such as Peru and Mexico, suggest that PB’s impact is much weaker in those countries. The chapter provides a summary of the rich body of evidence that has emerged since 1989, and describes PB in Brazil, Peru, El Salvador, and Mexico.

scholarly journals Institutional Reform and Rights Revolutions in Latin America: The Cases of Costa Rica and Colombia

2009 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce M. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Costa Rica ◽  
System Design ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Institutional Reform ◽  
Judicial System ◽  
Operating Rules ◽  
High Courts ◽  
The World ◽  
Latin American Countries

This article analyzes the conditions that allowed for expansive rights revolutions in Costa Rica and Colombia. My research suggests that many of the preconditions for rights revolutions in other regions of the world are also central to understanding Latin American cases. Of particular relevance is judicial system design including the high courts’ operating rules concerning access, standing, and judicial formality. These factors can and do mitigate the need for extensive resources and support structures necessary in other non-Latin American countries in which rights revolutions have occurred.

scholarly journals Smoke-Free Air Interventions in Seven Latin American Countries: Health and Financial Impact to Inform Evidence-Based Policy Implementation

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 2149-2157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariel Bardach ◽  
María Belén Rodríguez ◽  
Agustín Ciapponi ◽  
Federico Augustovski ◽  
Alcaraz Andrea ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Tobacco Smoking ◽  
World Health ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Free Air ◽  
The World ◽  
Latin American Countries

Abstract Introduction Disease burden due to tobacco smoking in Latin America remains very high. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential impact of implementing smoke-free air interventions on health and cost outcomes in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, using a mathematical model. Aims and Methods We built a probabilistic Monte Carlo microsimulation model, considering natural history, direct health system costs, and quality of life impairment associated with main tobacco-related diseases. We followed individuals in hypothetical cohorts and calculated health outcomes on an annual basis to obtain aggregated 10-year population health outcomes (deaths and events) and costs. To populate the model, we completed an overview and systematic review of the literature. Also, we calibrated the model comparing the predicted disease-specific mortality rates with those coming from local national statistics. Results With current policies, for the next 10 years, a total of 137 121 deaths and 917 210 events could be averted, adding 3.84 million years of healthy life and saving USD 9.2 billion in these seven countries. If countries fully implemented smoke-free air strategies, it would be possible to avert nearly 180 000 premature deaths and 1.2 million events, adding 5 million healthy years of life and saving USD 13.1 billion in direct healthcare. Conclusions Implementing the smoke-free air strategy would substantially reduce deaths, diseases, and health care costs attributed to smoking. Latin American countries should not delay the full implementation of this strategy. Implications Tobacco smoking is the single most preventable and premature mortality cause in the world. The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, supported by the World Health Organization, introduced a package of evidence-based measures for tobacco control. This study adds quality evidence on the potential health effects and savings of implementing smoke-free air policies in countries representing almost 80% of the Latin America and the Caribbean population.

A Bibliography of Soviet Studies of the Ancient Cultures of Latin America

1990 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-22
Author(s):  
V. A. Bashilov ◽  
V. I. Gulyaev
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Latin American Studies ◽  
Historical Processes ◽  
Third Stage ◽  
Archaeological Materials ◽  
Art And Culture ◽  
History Of ◽  
Two Stages ◽  
Second Period

The study in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of the earliest history of native Latin Americans falls into two distinct periods. The first, associated with an interest in the ancient Mexican and Peruvian civilizations, can be divided into two stages: the 1920s to the early 1940s, when Soviet scholars first acquainted themselves with antiquities from the region and used them for historical parallels; and the late 1940s and early 1950s, when Soviet historians turned to an analysis of Latin American materials. The second period went through three stages: the first, from the early 1950s to the early 1960s, mainly was dominated by Yury Knorozov, who was engaged in deciphering the language of the Maya, and Rostislav Kinzhalov, who studied their art and culture. During the second stage, the early 1960s to the mid-1970s, more scholars and research institutions undertook studies of the early cultures of Latin America. The thematic range became wider as well, covering—besides Mesoamerica and the central Andean region—the Intermediate region and the Caribbean. The third stage, which started in the late 1970s and continues to the present day, witnesses ethnographers and archaeologists pooling their efforts in studying the region. There were several conferences in which specialists engaged in various fields of Latin American studies participated. Their contacts with foreign colleagues became wider; Soviet archaeologists and ethnologists took part in fieldwork in Latin America. The primary aims today are to introduce Soviet readers to archaeological materials from a number of cultural-historical regions (such as the southern fringes of Mesoamerica, Amazonia, the southern Andes, etc.), to detail Soviet studies of cultural complexes and historical processes in ancient America, and to compare them to the processes that took place in the Old World, with the aim of establishing shared historical “laws” and patterns.

Digital Resources: The H-LatAm Listserv

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Schwaller
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
American Studies ◽  
Latin American Studies ◽  
Late 20Th Century ◽  
Digital Resources ◽  
Latin American History ◽  
Research Collaborations ◽  
The World ◽  
History Of

H-LatAm, short for History-Latin America, is an electronic list that has served the scholarly community since the late 20th century as a forum in which important issues facing Latin American history can be debated. It has served as a means of spreading information about publications, a channel for soliciting research and research collaborations, and an instrument that links historians of Latin America who are spread throughout the world. A review of this resource allows for a look at the history of Latin American studies on the Internet—useful for understanding and researching early threads—and some of the specific contributions of H-LatAm to the profession.

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