Search

Drawing on ethnographic data collected in three informal communities, one in Argentina, one in México, and one in Ecuador, we address the long-standing question posed by Larissa Lomnitz's and Carol Stack's now-classic studies of how impoverished people not only survive but what strategies they adopt in an attempt to build a dignified life. By focusing on the diversity of strategies by which the urban poor solve the everyday problems of individual and collective reproduction, we move beyond the macro-level analysis of structural constraint and material deprivation. Our findings show a remarkable continuity in the difficulties residents of these informal communities confronted and the problem-solving strategies they resorted to. We found that networks of kin and friends continue to play a crucial role in how poor people not only survive but attempt to get ahead. Additionally, we highlight the role of patronage networks and collective action as central to strategies by which the urban poor cope with scarcity and improve their life chances, while also paying close attention to ways in which they deal with pressing issues of insecurity and violence. The paper shows that poor people's survival strategies are deeply imbricated in routine political processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study considers the role that public service announcements (PSAs) play in addressing violence against women (VAW) in Latin America. Using content analysis, the study examines 407 PSAs about VAW from 20 Latin American countries. The results show that 62.3% of the PSAs encourage bystanders to denounce violence while portraying women as victims in 48.8% of the PSAs. However, 71.7% of PSAs did not include a helpline or how to report the crime, only 11.8% of the PSAs have non-narrative, or factual information, about VAW, and just 6.4% engage in compelling narrative messaging or storytelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tapuya: Latin American Science, Technology & Society is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Civil society has long demanded that human rights monitoring mechanisms be accessible not only for big international NGOs, but also for grassroots and domestic civil society organizations. Ensuring equal participation in these procedures has never been timelier as increasing socioeconomic inequalities widen the barriers for vulnerable populations to engage in transnational advocacy strategies. By using the right to water in the reviews that the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has conducted to Argentina, Ecuador, and Uruguay as case studies, this article examines how receptive the monitoring mechanism has been to the voices of—and concerns related to—the most vulnerable sectors of society. Through a multi-methods research approach, the study first traces matches in language between alternative reports and the Committee's lists of issues and concluding observations to identify which voices and claims the CESCR has effectively 'heard'. It further draws on semi-structured interviews involving civil society actors and former and current members of the Committee. While the findings suggest that efforts for assuring equal weight to all voices are taking place at the CESCR monitoring mechanism, they also unveil how the Committee has overlooked claims when raised by only one alternative report—which have voiced the challenges experienced by groups with intersectional identities. Hence, this article's contribution rests on the light it sheds on the opportunities and challenges that the Committee confronts to ensure equal participation and make the most vulnerable voices and concerns heard in its monitoring procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young people steer their life trajectories against the backdrop of profound transformations of rurality. They are considered protagonists in the present and future of rural areas; however, their experiences and perspectives on life in, and away from, the countryside have been scarcely acknowledged in academia. Considering conceptual thoughts on new mobilities, place-based belonging, and new ruralities, we argue that young people are a highly dynamic and continually reassessing group. In four case studies realized independently in Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Mexico, we closely involved young people with multiple participative methods to express their perceptions, concerns, and demands. We experiment on ways to integrate our insights for future comparative studies. Beyond the diversity in local contexts, we found convergences in young people's visions, which motivate them to stay or leave, with wider implications for the sustainability of rural places. "Living in between" thereby encapsulates multifaceted hybrid possible countrysides away from constraining dichotomic views. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]