CALAS

Social change and transitions in Latin America. Interdisciplinary approaches

The Center for Advanced Latin American Studies (CALAS) is characterized for an interdisciplinary collaboration between Social sciences and Humanities, therefore it has been proposed to carry out transdisciplinary lines of research through the continuous interaction amongst diverse topics: violence and peace, social inequities, ecological crises, identities, political change, etcetera. In order to promote this collaboration, CALAS has created a space where a series of convergences and divergences between humanities and social sciences.  Para promover esta colaboración, CALAS ha creado un espacio donde se reflejan una serie de The Platform for Dialogue « Social change and transitions in Latin America. Interdisciplinary approaches » is dedicated to the study of social changes and the transitions in Latin America from this perspective.

Change and transitions are key terms to address the present situation in the region. Both terms can indicate visible and concrete political, social and cultural shifts, but they can also be elements in a construction of meanings, especially the term change, which often appears with the promise of a new beginning, a shift towards a different position, although continuities prevail in the background. Change as a promise already has a tradition in political rhetoric. In Latin America, the term transition is associated with the processes of gradual democratization following the rule of authoritarian regimes and dictatorships. More recently, this term has been associated with approaches to sustainable production and consumption. Change and transition can designate historically documented events, refer to specific time periods and be associated with precise dates, yet they can also denote processes that take place below the surface of political and social actuality and whose relevance only becomes apparent in retrospect. The platform aims to explore how these processes, visible and less visible, are being studied in different disciplines and with different methodologies, to reveal where research interest is concentrated and where there are potential blind spots.

We are interested in empirical research that addresses social change and transition in Latin America from interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspectives. We welcome applications from researchers from different fields of knowledge, individually or in co-authorship. We look forward to receiving applications, especially on the following topics:

  • State and society: transition, change, rupture.

Possible approaches: transitions in the relations between institutions and actors; governance and change in public policies; political transitions and collective memories; the pandemic and Latin American regimes in the post-pandemic; the political rhetoric of change.

  • Spaces and their transformations: environment and territory in Latin America.

Possible approaches: models of development, sustainable production and consumption, critical reflections; space and sustainability; the sustainable city, sustainable agriculture, sustainable economy: representations of spatial transformations in discourses, literature and art.

  • 21st century Identities in transformation.

Possible approaches: construction and reconstruction of identities in Latin America in periods of change: their representations in discourses, literature and art; the rebirth of the social bond; social ruptures and continuities; regional and supraregional identities in Latin America and their dynamics.

 

Bases of the event and application

Venue: CALAS Andes regional headquarters in Quito, Ecuador

Date: November 24th-25th, 2022

Scientific Coordinators: Margarita Manosalvas (FLACSO), María Fernanda López (FLACSO), Angela Schrott (University of Kassel)

Aimed at: This call is aimed at experienced researchers working in several disciplines and traditions of thought in the social sciences and humanities, who can contribute solid theoretical and empirical reflections of the platform´s theme.

Languages: Spanish (preferred), Portuguese, English.

Application: Complete the application form with the title and summary of the proposal (between 300 and 400 words) and a brief description of the professional trajectory, publications and/or relevant activities in the field.

Deadline for the submission of proposals: July 1st, 2022

Funding: CALAS will cover lodging expenses. In addition, there will be limited resources for travel expenses.

Announcement of selected proposals: End of July 2022.

Contact/More information: Regional Headquarters Andes of the Center for Advanced Latin American Studies (CALAS-Andes)

E.C.: calas-andes@flacso.edu.ec

Lugar: 
FLACSO, Quito