Cultural Relevance, Political Action and Social Movements: The importance of public discourse in the Ecuadorian indigenous mobilizations of the 1990s and 2000s
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Date
2014-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
After 500 years of subjugation, indigenous mobilizations in Ecuador in the 1990s and 2000s initiated profound changes in the lives of indigenous peoples nationwide. Inspired by the emphasis placed on cultural frameworks and ethnic identity politics, this study investigates the complex relationship between indigenous cultural relevancy, political action and social movements. This research seeks to study how indigenous culture remained, or became increasingly more relevant through the employment of indigeneity as an umbrella concept used to unite diverse social groups in the indigenous mobilizations. In this case study, I will analyze cultural manifestations, namely periodicals from the time period in order to gauge the use of indigeneity through rhetorical and textual analysis. By means of periodical analysis and a sequencing of political organizing efforts, this study isolates indigenous culture and indigeneity to the extent possible to see how relevancy is maintained in the context of political events within a social movement. Additionally, positive and negative representations of indigenous culture and indigeneity will be observed within the articles in order to determine how public discourse and political power lead to material gains for the indigenous movements in Ecuador. By examining each political event through a culturally salient lens, I seek to understand how indigenous culture maintained relevancy during the mobilizations due to the strong foundations of the organizations and movements in ethnic identity politics and indigeneity. Therefore, this study gives context and analysis for indigenous and minority movements worldwide by studying the complex interactions of these variables.
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Keywords
Indigenous movements, Indigeneity, Collective rights, Social movements, Ecuador