New feminist "political fields of action": A view at the recent mobilizations in Chile

Authors

  • Débora de Fina Gonzalez Universidad Estatal de Campinas
  • Francisca Figueroa Vidal Universidad de la Frontera

Abstract

Between May and July 2018, Chile was the stage for one of the biggest feminist demonstrations in the country's history. From the feminist’s occupying and strikes made in more than twenty universities and high schools, the students massively occupied the streets with new expressions, slogans and colors to denounce old and silenced daily practices of abuse and harassment, power relations and objectification of their bodies. In this article, we propose to look at the Chilean feminist May from the crossing between three key elements: (i) the moment of international feminist effervescence and the "revival of militant feminism" (Watkins, 2018); (ii) the latent and growing organization of the Chilean feminist political field - in its fragmentation and heterogeneity - in the social fabric of the last decade and, finally, (iii) its intertwining with the student movement, probably the most relevant social actor demanding and transforming since the democratic transition.

Keywords:

Feminists Occupying, Universities, Feminisms, Chile

Author Biographies

Débora de Fina Gonzalez, Universidad Estatal de Campinas

Socióloga, Candidata a Doctora en Ciencias Sociales, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)

Francisca Figueroa Vidal, Universidad de la Frontera

Socióloga, titulada en la Universidad de la Frontera