Striking the State Apparatus through Indigenous Mobilization: A Comparative Analysis of Central Andean Movements in Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru

Date of Award

2009

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Hicks, Barbara

Keywords

Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Indigenous Movements, Collective Action

Area of Concentration

International and Area Studies

Abstract

This thesis is a comparative study of the central Andean indigenous movements' rise as dynamic collective actors at the turn of the 21st century. To understand variances in these movements and how they emerged, a most similar systems design study was conducted. Under this method some historical and cultural factors were held constant while four independent factors were observed: the degree of openness in a political system, the presence of influential allies, framing of the movements' demands, and a movements' organizational structure. My findings revealed that these factors accounted for Ecuador's and Bolivia's indigenous movements' rise as collective actors able to represent their bases as well as their leadership in advancing the grievances of the broader civil societies in which they are situated. For Peru's indigenous movement, these same factors account for its rise as a dynamic actor, but they also explain the lesser degree of influence that it has had in the political sphere. This difference is attributed to a more closed political system that ultimately undermined the organizational maturation and unity of Peru's indigenous groups, influenced its frames towards a targeted indigenous population, and left the movement with little connection to the broader society.

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