¿Cómo enfrentar los déficit sociales de América Latina? Acerca de mitos, ideas renovadoras y el papel de la cultura

Abstract

The social situation in Latin America nowadays is characterized not only by economic deficits but also, and as a consequence of the former, by deficits in specific areas of the daily life of the majority of the population. The increase in the scope and depth of the processes of impoverishment in the region has been intensified in the last decade resulting in a series of vicious economic and social circles (relative and absolute growth of poverty that affects particularly infants; the growing gender character of poverty; etc.) that implicate public policies which have been undertaken, paradoxically, to solve these problems. Among the myths which contributed to this situation, the author analyses the reductionist perspective of development and the concept of social expenditure rather than social investment, between others.

The purpose of this article is to call the attention upon the need to open and explore systematically the links between the social situation/ possible responses/ cultural frameworks. Its aim is to present the subject matter in order to promote further detailed research. For this purpose, a profile of the social situation of the region are sketched; the main myths and reasoning structures that are strongly anchored in the perception of social groups of high influence that act as stumbling blocks for the resolution of the problems are identified; and lastly, working suggestions regarding possible cultural contributions for the understanding of the social question are presented.