Cuando Chile dejó de ser una “copia feliz del Edén”: redefiniendo clases medias en trauma en la década del 70

Abstract

This article focuses on the redefinition of Chilean middle classes' identities as an after effect of their social experiences through the 1970s, as Chile passed through three historical milestones that significantly shaped the history of the country and its citizens: Salvador Allende's Popular Unity government (UP), Augusto Pinochet's coup d'etat in 1973, and the subsequent military dictatorship. Based on oral testimonies with middle classes members, I introduce the linkage between identity and cultural trauma which arises following the experiences of social collapse and reshaped middle classes identities. Subsequently, three expressions of cultural trauma will be analyzed in this article: the collapse of civism and its impact on daily life, the transformation of sociability customs, and cultural trauma as a potential positive force. RESUMENEste artículo se enfoca en la redefinición de identidades de clases medias chilenas como contraefecto de tres puntos de inflexión respecto a la historia del país y sus ciudadanos durante la década de 1970: el gobierno de la Unidad Popular (UP), el golpe de Estado de Augusto Pinochet el 11 de Septiembre de 1973 y la subsiguiente dictadura militar. Basado en testimonios de historial oral, en el presente artículo voy a introducir el vínculo entre identidad y trauma cultural que surge de experiencias de colapso social y que conllevó a la reconfiguración de identidades de clases medias. Tres expresiones de trauma serán analizadas en este artículo: el quiebre del civismo y su impacto en la vida cotidiana, la transformación en las formas de sociabilizar y el trauma cultural como potencial fuerza positiva.

“To Live with Honor, or Die”: The Metamorphosis of Place, National Symbols, Masculinities, and Practices under State Terrorism (1973-1990)

“…Following the "reformulated understanding" of hegemonic masculinity, 73 I argue that the civic agency deployed by these three sectors was not only redefined and acquired renewed protagonism over the seventeen years of dictatorship, but was also crucial for the recovery of democracy. 74 The country's recovery would require commitment from all Chileans. Immediately after the coup, a large-scale campaign was launched calling for people to "Commit yourself to Chile.…”