Pro-Capitalist Violence and the Great Wave of Dispossession

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-158
Author(s):  
Jasmin Hristov
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Organized Crime ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Capital Accumulation ◽  
Positive Interaction ◽  
Structural Embeddedness ◽  
Neoliberal Development ◽  
Central Argument ◽  
Latin American Countries

This article aims to theorize the role of violence in securing and promoting conditions for capital accumulation in the era of globalization by focusing on neoliberal development projects in the global South. To this end, I introduce the concept of pro-capitalist violence, with an emphasis on its manifestations in agrarian contexts in Colombia, Mexico, and Honduras—countries that rank as the deadliest places in the world for defenders of land rights and the environment. I show that not all collective violence in these countries is a product of organized crime, gangs, or armed conflict between states and guerrilla groups. The central argument is that pro-capitalist violence has been an essential instrument enabling the neoliberal agrarian restructuring of Latin American countries through dispossession and repression. The article develops two propositions as an entry point to theorizing pro-capitalist violence: its structural embeddedness, exposed by capturing its positive interaction with economic and security legislation; and its multifaceted nature, shown by tracing its different modalities.

Leadership Training in Latin America

1993 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-17
Author(s):  
Alice B. Lentz
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Leadership Training ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Private Higher Education ◽  
Enterprise Growth ◽  
The University ◽  
Latin American Countries

Alice Lentz offers a brief view of the role of the Americas Fund for Independent Universities (AFIU) in relation to significant initiatives in various Latin American countries. In a region where the function and development of private higher education institutions is especially important, the focus of the AFIU's activities is on private universities' ability to provide trained business leaders with the skills necessary to meet the challenges of enterprise growth in these developing economies. She mentions in particular the strengthening of financing capabilities within the university, and the evolution of three-way partnerships among business corporations, AFIU, and universities in Latin America.

Job flexibility and job satisfaction among Mexican professionals: a socio-cultural explanation

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 921-942 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel A. Baeza ◽  
Jorge A. Gonzalez ◽  
Yong Wang
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Women Employees ◽  
Mexican Society ◽  
Job Flexibility ◽  
Cultural Explanation ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Latin American Countries

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study how job flexibility influences job satisfaction among Mexican professionals, and focus on the role of key socio-cultural moderators relevant to Mexican society. Design/methodology/approach The paper explore how this relationship may be more important for women, employees with dependents such as children and elder parents and younger generations of professionals (e.g. Millennials). Findings The authors find that job flexibility is positively related to job satisfaction. This relationship is stronger for employees without dependents, as well as for younger generations of professionals (e.g. Millennials). Surprisingly, the relationship between job flexibility and job satisfaction does not differ by gender. The findings explain why job flexibility is more conductive to job satisfaction for employees without dependents, who tend to belong to younger generations. Originality/value Overall, the findings present important implications for managing job flexibility in Mexico and other Latin American countries, particularly for younger professionals.

The Role of Women in the Development of New Religious Movements in Latin America

2021 ◽  
pp. 346-364
Author(s):  
Angel Belzunegui Eraso ◽  
David Dueñas Cid
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Religious Movements ◽  
New Religious Movements ◽  
Religious Plurality ◽  
New Religions ◽  
Role Of Women ◽  
Latin American Countries

In this chapter we focus on the growth of “new religions” and new religious movements in Latin America and attempt to find explanations for this growth. Although other explanations for the increase in religious plurality exist, we focus on the role of women in this development. The expansion of movements such as Pentecostalism is challenging the centrality of Catholicism in many Latin American countries. Basically, we therefore aim to answer the following question: Why has Pentecostalism grown so much in some Latin American countries while Catholicism has experienced a certain decline? One possible explanation for this is the role of women in this expansion, which has fostered greater social cohesion within families and communities. Pentecostalism has led to a certain empowerment of the women living in precarious conditions, affording them greater visibility and importance within their communities and giving them a role in the re-education of behaviours that are rooted in male domination.

scholarly journals Higher Education in Latin America: Trends and Explanations

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Székely
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Completion Rates ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Context Variables ◽  
Working Age ◽  
Recent Trends ◽  
Latin American Countries

This paper documents the recent trends in access and completion of higher education (HE) in 18 Latin American countries, and explores the relation with a series of context variables in order to verify different hypothesis about the changes observed. We find that access to HE among individuals in the working age population has risen in the region, while completion rates have fallen. Our cohort-level analysis shows that the recent expansion in HE enrollment has been mostly associated with the increase in Upper Secondary completion rates as opposed to an increase in the fraction of USE graduates who enroll in HE. Other factors associated with this expansion include economic growth and favorable labor market conditions. Nonetheless, the dominant role of “the pipeline” underscores the need to continue increasing USE completion in order to expand HE access. Since “the pipeline” effect will at some point exhaust its role driving HE expansion, our findings also underscore the need for policies that raise the enrollment of USE graduates.

scholarly journals Analysis of Latin American Fertility in Terms of Probable Social Classes

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrés Felipe Castro Torres
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Social Stratification ◽  
Fertility Decline ◽  
Social Classes ◽  
Fertility Differentials ◽  
Lower Fertility ◽  
Ideational Change ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Latin American Countries

Abstract Theories of demographic change have not paid enough attention to how factors associated with fertility decline play different roles across social classes that are defined multidimensionally. I use a multidimensional definition of social class along with information on the reproductive histories of women born between 1920 and 1965 in six Latin American countries to show the following: the enduring connection between social stratification and fertility differentials, the concomitance of diverse fertility decline trajectories by class, and the role of within- and between-class social distances in promoting/preventing ideational change towards the acceptance of lower fertility. These results enable me to revisit the scope of theories of fertility change and to provide an explanatory narrative centred on empirically constructed social classes (probable social classes) and the macro- and micro-level conditions that influenced their life courses. I use 21 census samples collected between 1970 and 2005 in Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Paraguay.

Politics, Power, and the Role of the Village Priest in Paraguay

1967 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederic Hicks
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Rural People ◽  
The People ◽  
Church Hierarchy ◽  
Personal Qualities ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Village ◽  
Latin American Countries ◽  
The Church

The parochial priests in small Paraguayan towns are generally reputed, in Paraguay, to exercise an extraordinary amount of power and influence over the people of their parishes—to a greater extent, it would seem, than in most other Latin American countries. This is, moreover, despite the fact that the church, as an institution, is considerably weaker, economically and politically, than in all but a handful of such countries. Therefore, what power the individual priest may have can not be viewed as simply an extension of the power of the church. Most urban Paraguayans, including at least some members of the church hierarchy, are inclined to attribute this situation to the alleged superstitious or credulous nature of the Paraguayan peasants. The rural people themselves, on the other hand, are apt to explain the influence of their own local priest, at least, as due to his personal qualities or strength of character, as did the Services when referring to the prestige of the local priest of Tobati.

Society, Environment, Vulnerability, and Climate Change in Latin America

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 29-42
Author(s):  
Jorge Rojas Hernández
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Level Of Education ◽  
Environmental Deterioration ◽  
America Latina ◽  
Latin American Countries

Historically, Latin American social development has been diverse and heterogeneous. It depends on the use of natural resources (with greater or less added value and productive diversity), the influence of social movements, the role of political parties, the level of education, and the prevailing culture. Inequality and social exclusion are still prevalent in most Latin American countries. Poverty and environmental deterioration tend to be correlated. Therefore strategies for mitigation of and adaptation to climate change must consider measures for overcoming poverty and reducing inequality. El desarrollo social en América Latina es históricamente muy diverso y heterogéneo. Depende del uso de los recursos naturales — con mayor o menor valor agregado y diversidad productiva —, de la influencia de los movimientos sociales, del papel de los partidos políticos, del nivel educacional alcanzado y del tipo de cultura imperante en las diferentes sociedades. Aún persiste la desigualdad y altos índices de exclusión social en la mayoría de los países latinoamericanos. Pobreza y deterioro del medio ambiente suelen correlacionarse. Los pobres por lo general viven en territorios degradados y vulnerables. Las estrategias de mitigación y adaptación al cambio climático deben, en consecuencia, contemplar medidas de superación de la pobreza y disminución de los niveles de desigualdad social y ambiental.

Diversity management in three Latin American countries: an institutional theory perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 426-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrés Raineri
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Public Information ◽  
Diversity Management ◽  
Web Pages ◽  
Human Diversity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Forces ◽  
Latin American Countries

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to use an institutional theory (IT) approach to analyse the institutional context for diversity management (DM) in Chile, El Salvador and Guatemala, the influence of such a context on the DM issues that organisations’ face, and the DM practices that firms implement.Design/methodology/approachFocus groups and a survey are used to assess managers and workers’ perceptions about DM in their countries, while an analysis of the content of firms’ web pages is used to assess the formal public information about DM provided by firms.FindingsResults suggest prevalence of perceptions, among both managers and employees, of discrimination at the workplace, facilitated by cultural forces that undervalue human diversity. Firms’ DM responses seem to be led by multinational companies, and focussed on fighting discrimination, facilitating inclusion and pursuing external legitimacy.Originality/valueThis study is among the first to analyse DM in Latin American organisations. Furthermore, three studies, with different methodologies, support several IT propositions that emphasise the role of institutional forces in explaining organisations’ implementation of DM practices. The relevance and challenges of developing DM programmes in Latin America are discussed.

Politics and Inequality in Latin America

2009 ◽  
Vol 42 (04) ◽  
pp. 651-655 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyne Huber
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
International System ◽  
State Action ◽  
Land Distribution ◽  
Policy Choices ◽  
Political Conflicts ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
Structural Roots ◽  
Latin American Countries

Our symposium offers a variety of perspectives, such as on self-perpetuation of inequality in the international system, or on the consequences of inequality for economic growth or for social and political conflicts. This contribution discusses the determinants of domestic policy choices that affect inequality and the consequences of these policy choices. The empirical focus is on Latin American countries, which collectively are characterized by the highest regional levels of inequality in the world, but individually show considerable variation. Different analyses have emphasized different causes of income inequality and of the variation in inequality, such as historical structural roots in land distribution and natural-resource endowments, geography, ethnic divisions, the economic context, demographics, and state action or lack thereof. The role of the state has not received much systematic attention until rather recently, though, despite its essential role in the allocation of resources.

scholarly journals The Role of Trade Costs in the Russian-Paraguayan Trade Relations

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Valeriia S. Ryzhkova ◽  
Alexandra G. Koval
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Bilateral Trade ◽  
Trade Costs ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Export Diversification ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Trade Relations ◽  
Mutual Interest ◽  
Latin American Countries

The changed geopolitical situation and deterioration of Russia-West relations has induced the expansion of trade and economic cooperation between Russia and Latin American countries. Currently, Paraguay is explicitly showing its readiness to strengthen recently built trade relations with Russia. In order to fuel their increased mutual interest, it is crucial to struggle with impediments that hinder the trade between them. The export potential assessments demonstrate that Russia and Paraguay indeed have potential to intensify bilateral trade, even though the opportunities for export diversification are quite limited. The authors conduct a survey to identify the major trade costs and their role in the development of the Russian-Paraguayan trade relations. The survey findings reveal that transportation and logistics costs significantly impede the exports of both countries as well as information-related obstacles represent the top concern for Russian export companies, while non-tariff measures, language and cultural barriers are relevant for Paraguayan firms. In order to intensify the Russian-Paraguayan commercial relations, the policy makers could deal with these barriers via a higher exchange of market information through different institutional channels.

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