NEW FORMS OF SOCIAL MOBILIZATION IN DEMOCRATIC ARGENTINA
NEW FORMS OF SOCIAL MOBILIZATION IN DEMOCRATIC ARGENTINA

Summary/Abstract: The process of democratization in contemporary Argentina began in 1983. Since then, government formation has been based on periodically held democratic elections. Nevertheless, there have been serious political crises, which have in various ways affected the stability of most presidents over the period. In 1989, the most profound economic crisis Argentinians had experienced since 1983 resulted in hyperinflation (around 300% per month) and the spread of lootings and social unrest in most large cities. Due to the crisis, the first democratically-elected president, Raúl Alfonsín (Unión Civica Radical, or UCR), had to hand over power to his elected successor, Carlos Menem (Partido Justicialista, or PJ), five months before the scheduled date. In 2001, a comparable socio-economic crisis prompted the resignation of President Fernando de la Rúa (UCR). Social mobilization has been a central component of the successive social and political crises that took place over these years. This article analyzes the main forms of social mobilization linked with labor issues in a broad sense of the term, including the lack of work. It adopts a panoramic point of view, in the manner of an aerial photograph that captures the whole picture as well as the most significant details. At the same time, the analysis of social mobilization offered in this paper has been conceived to facilitate cross-country comparison within (and beyond) the scope of this issue of Laboratorium.

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