Freshwater research in Latin America: Current research topics, challenges, and opportunities

2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (S2) ◽  
pp. S1-S12
Author(s):  
Alonso Ramírez ◽  
Pablo E. Gutiérrez-Fonseca
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Scientific Activity ◽  
Research Topics ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Web Studies ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
The Status

Introduction: Freshwater research in Latin America has been increasing in recent years, with a large participation of scientists based on local institutions. However, researchers in the region are facing diverse challenges, and we lack a regional overview of the status of freshwater research. Objective: To address this, we surveyed researchers in the region to assess the current activity and challenges faced by the scientific community. We were interested in understanding (1) the type of research currently taking place in the region, (2) the major research gaps, as viewed by local researchers, and (3) the main limitations or obstacles slowing the development of freshwater science in the region. Methods: We prepared a questionnaire with 26 questions regarding the background of participants, their ongoing research priorities, the products generated from their research, and the major limitations they are facing as researchers. Results: We obtained 105 answers from researchers in 19 Latin American countries. Some of the important trends identified included: (1) a focus on stream ecosystems under agricultural and natural forest; (2) emphasis on biodiversity assessment and species inventories; (3) limited ecological research, mostly centered on litter decomposition and food web studies; and (4) communicating research in the form of peer-reviewed papers and reports in gray literature. Major limitations to the scientific activity included: (1) language, with a majority of respondents considering their handling of English a handicap; (2) limited access to research equipment; (3) lack of tools, such as taxonomic keys; and (4) limited research funding. Research needs and priorities resulted in three major areas in need of attention: (1) developing taxonomy and systematics; (2) improving our current understanding of ecology and natural history; and (3) understanding species distributions and biodiversity patterns. Conclusions: Latin America has an active community of scientists. There is a need to diversify research topics, without abandoning traditional research areas (e.g., taxonomy, species distribution). We advocate for more collaboration among scientists with similar research goals, regardless of their affiliation. Improving communication and collaboration among universities and countries within Latin America will certainly facilitate overcoming obstacles and will help shaping a brighter future for freshwater research, and sciences in general, in the region.

A few ruminations about the status of the church in Latin America

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-181
Author(s):  
J. Daniel Salinas
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
First Century ◽  
Indigenous Leadership ◽  
Evangelical Churches ◽  
Recent Growth ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
The Status ◽  
Historical Developments ◽  
The Church

Evangelicals have been present in Latin America for more than a century. The article describes some historical developments as well as current challenges and opportunities evangelicals are facing in Latin America. The article explores some inherited traits of Latin American evangelical churches and the received theology. The narrative includes details about the process toward a more indigenous leadership of the churches, and explanations for the more recent growth. Latin American evangelicals have to decide how to live out the Gospel in the twenty-first century in ways that will increase not only their numbers but also their relevance.

scholarly journals IDENTIDAD DE LA TEOLOGÍA LATINOAMERICA Y LA TEOLOGÍA DE LA LIBERACIÓN

2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Jorge Costadoat Carrasco
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Liberation Theology ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Theological Method ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Age Of Maturity ◽  
The Status ◽  
Original Speech ◽  
America Latina ◽  
The Church

RESUMEN: El objetivo de esta investigación es suministrar argumentos para identificar la Teología latinoamericana con la Teología de la liberación, y viceversa. Entre estos argumentos se debe considerar la conciencia de alcanzar la “mayoría de edad” de la Iglesia en América Latina en el postconcilio; la convicción de los teólogos de la liberación de estar elaborando una “nueva manera” de hacer teo­logía; una toma de distancia del carácter ilustrado de la teología; y la posibilidad de reconocer en los acontecimientos regionales, particularmente en los pobres, un habla original de Dios. Este artículo pretende hacer una contribución al status quaestionis del método teológico.ABSTRACT: The objective of this paper is to provide arguments to identify Latin American Theology with Liberation Theology, and vice versa. Among these arguments, one should consider the awareness of the Church in Latin America reaching its “age of maturity” in the post-conciliar period. Other arguments are the conviction of liberation theologians to be elaborating a “new way” of doing theology; a distance from the illustrated characteristic of theology; and, the possibility of recognizing in regional events, particularly in the poor, God’s original speech. This article aims to contribute to the status quaestionis of the theological method.

Public policies of connectivity in Latin America in the context of COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-136
Author(s):  
Bernadette Califano ◽  
Martín Becerra
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Regional Level ◽  
Legal Regulations ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Status ◽  
Telecommunications Policies ◽  
Latin American Countries

This article analyses the digital policies introduced in different Latin American countries during the first three months after the outbreak of COVID-19 reached the region (March–June 2020). This analysis has a three-fold objective: (a) to give an overview of the status of connectivity in five big Latin American countries – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico; (b) to study comparatively the actions and regulations implemented on connectivity matters by the governments of each country to face the pandemic; and (c) to provide insights in relation with telecommunications policies in the context of pandemic emergence at a regional level. To that end, this study will consider legal regulations and specific public policies in this field, official documents from the public and private sectors, and statistics on ICT access and usage in the region.

The Religious Question in the Congress of Gran Colombia

1974 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
David Bushnell
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Roman Catholic ◽  
Political Conflict ◽  
Colonial Period ◽  
Roman Catholic Church ◽  
Specific Content ◽  
The Status ◽  
Religious Question

In all the confusion of nineteenth century political conflict in Latin America, clearly defined doctrinal issues and policy disagreements . are often hard to detect. The clearest—it is generally agreed—had to do with religious matters. The specific content of debate might vary with time and place, but everywhere in Latin America a fundamental question was posed: i.e., to what extent the Roman Catholic Church should continue to enjoy the status it had acquired during the colonial period, when it held a religious monopoly, a vast amount of wealth, extensive influence in the field of education, and much more besides. Few Latin American leaders opposed all innovation on the ecclesiastical front, and even fewer wished a total transformation; but there was ample room for controversy, with "liberals" normally seeking more rapid and fundamental changes than "conservatives" were prepared to accept.

scholarly journals Investigación sobre aborto en América Latina y el Caribe. Una agenda renovada para informar políticas públicas e incidencia (resumen ejecutivo) / Research on Abortion in Latin America and the Caribbean. A Renewed Agenda to Inform Public Policy and Advocacy (executive summary)

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 833 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvina Ramos
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Public Debate ◽  
Executive Summary ◽  
Important Place ◽  
The Status ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Las Mujeres ◽  
America Latina

El tema del aborto en la región latinoamericana ha venido ocupando un lugar importante y creciente en el quehacer académico, el debate público y, en particular, en las agendas y políticas públicas desde hace más de dos décadas. La excelente y reciente publicación del Consorcio Latinoamericano contra el Aborto Inseguro (clacai), Investigación sobre aborto en América Latina y el Caribe. Una agenda renovada para informar políticas públicas e incidencia, cuyo resumen ejecutivo se presenta a continuación, nos ofrece un conocimiento riguroso y sólido de la evidencia científica de que se dispone en la región sobre este tema en el periodo de 2009 al 2014; con base en éste, nos propone los ejes temáticos prioritarios que deben ser indagados en el futuro inmediato. Sin duda esta publicación representa un insumo altamente valorizado que contribuye a comprender y difundir la situación del aborto en la región, sus causas, las consecuencias y los obstáculos que las mujeres enfrentan en su decisión de interrumpir su embarazo, así como las posturas de los diversos actores sociales que están a favor o en contra de la despenalización del aborto y las acciones que en los ámbitos institucionales, privados y públicos, influyen y participan en este proceso; dichos aspectos también están presentes en el debate público en numerosos países de otras regiones.AbstractThe issue of abortion in Latin America has occupied an increasingly important place in academic work and public debate, particularly in agendas and public policies, for over two decades. The recent excellent publication by the Latin American Consortium against Unsafe Abortion (clacai), Investigación sobre aborto en América Latina y el Caribe. Una agenda renovada para informar políticas públicas e incidencia, whose executive summary is presented below, provides a detailed account of the scientific evidence available in the region on this topic in the period from 2009 to 2014. On the basis of the latter, it proposes thematic priorities that should be investigated in the near future. This publication is an extremely valuable input that contributes to understanding and disseminating the status of abortion in the region, its causes and consequences and the obstacles women face in their decision to terminate their pregnancies. It also details the positions of the various stakeholders for or against the legalization of abortion and actions in the institutional, private and public spheres that influence and participate in this process. These aspects are also present in the public debate in many countries in other regions. 

scholarly journals Theoretical Framework for Research on Mathematical Olympiads in Latin America

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-30
Author(s):  
Oscar F. Bernal Pedraza
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Critical Factors ◽  
School Students ◽  
Quantitative And Qualitative Research ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Latin American Countries

This theoretical framework is intended to serve as guide to research on national Mathematical Olympiads in Latin America. Research with the goal to elucidate critical factors involved in the existence and results obtained by Latin American teams in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) and other international contests, may find a stepping stone in this framework and the references cited in it. From the way local committees see themselves and their indicators for success. to the feedback subsumed in the IMO results, different comparable metrics for success must be developed to understand the specific challenges faced by these organizations and the goals set by themselves and the educational communities in their own countries. As for Latin American countries the IMO is not the only competition they attend or their single metric for success, reference to the IMO is provided as the evolving opportunity leading to the creation of local olympiad committees, the committees this framework presents as an opportunity for research and understanding of the search for talent in developing countries. As a way of closing the document, a few questions are proposed, offering both quantitative and qualitative research areas and with the possibility to reach findings helpful for those organizations, for the school students in their respective countries, and for similar organizations in other countries.

Telenovelas and Melodrama in Latin America

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Estill
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Theoretical Work ◽  
The United States ◽  
Soap Opera ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Media Globalization ◽  
Over The Top ◽  
The Relationship

Telenovelas are a television genre developed and produced originally in Latin America since the 1950s. Now they serve as one of the largest media exports of countries such as Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, circulating widely within Latin America as well as around the world. Telenovelas are often compared to the US soap opera and do boast some common characteristics, such as their reliance on the melodramatic mode. However, telenovela production, structure, and programming differ greatly from that of soap operas, with the most-notable differences being their “closed” structure—narratives generally last between six and fifteen months and, in most countries, are programmed nightly—and their popularity across demographic groups, with many telenovelas being tailored for the whole family. While research in the field began in the 1970s, scholars agree that it was not until the effects and power of media globalization began to be seen in the 1980s that telenovela scholarship gathered traction. Early research grappled with the popularity and influence of telenovelas, with studies about the history and structure of the genre, the conditions of melodrama, and the context of national television industrial formation. Early debates deliberated over the telenovela’s role—along with television in general—in pacifying audiences and participating in mass media imperial projects; telenovela exportation success required the reassessment of these theories of culture, given Latin America’s growing role as a producer of media flow. Other general areas of inquiry include nuanced discussions of the genre and its persistence, studies of its production and consumption in local conditions, and analyses of particular telenovelas. Telenovela scholars have placed their work in direct and fruitful conversation with scholars in other countries studying serial melodramas, particularly as telenovelas have grown into a significant global export. Attending to the transnational context of media flow and consumption has lead to less concern about imperialism’s effects on Latin American audiences and more-extensive theoretical work on the relationship between telenovelas to formations of Latin American modernity. Some scholars make the case that telenovelas’ Latin American success has to do with the role that melodrama plays in facilitating the negotiation of Latin American modernity. Since the late 1990s, scholarship has continued apace in all the major areas of television studies: production, reception, the text and its thematic and narrative meanings, and the relationship between telenovelas and their sociohistorical context. The organization of this article reflects these research areas. Newer developments in the field include the growth of telenovela production in the United States (telenovela programming and viewership has a longer history) and the loss of markets for telenovelas due to the success of Turkish dizis and the rise of over-the-top (OTT) platforms. More scholarship is needed in these areas.

Carnival, Hybridity, and Latin American Digital Humor

2020 ◽  
pp. 177-193
Author(s):  
Paul Alonso
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Social Norms ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Textual Analysis ◽  
Digital Medium ◽  
Cultural Stereotypes ◽  
Cultural Globalization ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Critical Humor

Enchufe.tv, an online comedy series that satirizes Ecuadorian idiosyncrasies and local urban culture, became the most popular online TV series in the country and a regional phenomenon in Latin America. The online show questions cultural stereotypes and social norms, while adapting and parodying transnational audiovisual formats and entertainment genres. Based on interviews and textual analysis, this chapter analyzes Enchufe.tv as a case study of Latin American digital humor, an increasingly relevant phenomenon to understand how cultural globalization and hybridity operate in today's transnational, multimedia entertainment. The case of Enchufe.tv not only reveals the challenges and opportunities of the digital medium for independent audiovisual projects, but also how the limits of critical humor are negotiated in cultural, political, and commercial terms.

scholarly journals Gender Blindness in Latin American Political Science

2018 ◽  
pp. 50-66
Author(s):  
Flavia D. Freidenberg
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Political Science ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Editorial Boards ◽  
The Status ◽  
American Political Science ◽  
Status Of Women

This article reflects about the weight women have had in the field of Political Science in and about Latin America during the last decade. This text not only describes and analyzes the existing gender gap in compared research about Latin America, but also it focuses the attention in how the discipline as a profession is exercised. The main objective of this paper is to generate initial reflections about of the status of women in the discipline in Latin America as well as how we do research, what we teach and what we publish (and with whom) in the discipline. The women are underrepresented in Political Science meetings, syllabi, and editorial boards. This is done under the premise that Political Science is a gendered discipline that reproduces exclusionary views, beliefs, and practices and also operates under a certain level of “gender blindness”

Digital Badges in Latin America and the Caribbean

2022 ◽  
pp. 111-138
Author(s):  
Stella Porto ◽  
Andrea Leonelli ◽  
Xenia Coton ◽  
Claudia Useche ◽  
Pablo Olguin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Digital Badges ◽  
The Public ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Multilateral Organization ◽  
Learning Institutions ◽  
And Training

This chapter provides an overview of digital badge adoption by the Inter-American Development Bank both at the organizational level as well as for an external audience in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). It describes the value and impact of digital badges for an international multilateral organization, for its employees, and for its regional stakeholders. It discusses the challenges and opportunities of expanding the adoption of digital badges for the public sector in the LAC region. The authors believe the chapter will be of interest to policymakers in LAC, other international organizations with interest in areas of knowledge and learning, institutions of higher education interested in Latin American issues in education and training sectors, and other professionals in a variety of international settings.

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