Centre of Latin American Studies (CLAS): 'Discursive, Organizational, and Mobilization Tactics of Black Middle Classes in the New Millennium: Challenging Power, Meritocracy, and Technocracy'

Speaker: Mara Viveros Vigoya (Simón Bolívar Professor) has a PhD in Anthropology from EHESS (Paris). She is tenured professor at the Faculty of Human Sciences at Universidad Nacional de Colombia, teaching in the Department of Anthropology (1998-2017) and the School of Gender Studies. She is co-founder of the School and has been its director three times.

Chair: Mónica Moreno Figueroa (University of Cambridge)

The talk will be in person and in Spanish. To access the English interpretation, you will need to bring a headset and a phone/laptop with the Zoom application.

Abstract: This presentation explores the discursive, organizational, and mobilization tactics of Black middle classes at the turn of the millennium, questioning whether these groups have successfully challenged hegemonic power structures and claimed their right to govern. By questioning traditional narratives of meritocracy and technocracy that have upheld political power, it examines how racialized middle classes displace or contest power narratives historically dominated by white or mestizo middle classes. The presentation addresses how multiple layers of domination impact the ability of racialized middle classes to mobilize critical discourses and resist dominant narratives of power. Additionally, it investigates how discourses that politicize racialized identities within leftist projects offer new strategies for addressing the internal tensions faced by leftist governments that advocate for social justice and inclusion but struggle to effectively integrate all marginalized voices. Finally, it examines how racialized middle classes challenge traditional notions of meritocracy and technocracy in their strategies to gain political power, proposing alternative discourses and organizational methods that destabilize the status quo.

The event is free and open to all. Refreshments will be served at the end.