Democratization and Oppositional Consciousness in Argentina

Abstract

Many countries recently have adopted formal democratic institutions and processes, such as the use of regular elections for national political offices. Many citizens, suffering from poverty and extreme social inequality, nonetheless feel politically excluded and dissatisfied. They sometimes turn to collective action and protest to help correct perceived injustices, yet protest often is rendered ineffective by the long-standing authoritarian habits of politicians, by clientalistic arrangements, and by citizens’ inexperience with collective action. This article draws on Jane Mansbridge and Aldon Morris’s differentiation of oppositional anger and oppositional consciousness to understand the limits to protest in new democracies. Anger, which is necessary for triggering collective action, by itself does not foster effective popular action. Often a full-fledged oppositional consciousness also is needed. This article examines three cases of protest in Argentina to illustrate the roles of oppositional anger, minimal oppositional consciousness, and full-fledged oppositional consciousness in popular politics. The study concludes that, thus far, most groups in Argentina that engage in collective action have not manifested a full-fledged oppositional consciousness. Protesters, to be effective, need to develop a more coherent understanding of the systematic oppression that they face, including the persistence of Peronism.