Political Change and Polarization in Contemporary Bolivia (2009)
Undergraduate: Andrew Crosson
Faculty Advisor: Timothy McKeown
Department: Political Science
Recent political developments in Bolivia have place it within what scholars have called the "Shift to the Left" currently taking place in Latin America. Bolivia's case is particularly interesting, given the level of indigenous mobilization and electoral transformation that has occurred in the past decade, in addition to a corresponding pattern of polarization along ethnic, regional, and socio-economic lines. I traveled to Bolivia to conduct interviews, photograph, and observe the social and political environment, and have just finished an honors thesis in Political Science on the subject. In my presentation, I will share a sampling of photo essays and interview excerpts that capture some of the trends in public opinion and identity that I observed in Bolivia. I will also put these examples in the context of a narrative of political developments, providing a concise but comprehensive summary of Bolivia's political situation and my experience investigating it.