Discusiones interdisciplinarias sobre persistencia colonial, descolonización, experiencia y pasajes socioantropológicos y políticos latinoamericanos

Abstract

A central debate in contemporary Latin American social sciences revolves around the enduring presence of colonial patterns, practices, and forms of domination in research methodologies and the subjective framing of societal issues. However, decolonizing initiatives are emerging, concurrently, to challenge the ways coloniality has been entwined with the expansion of capital in the 21st century. This introductory article explores the key debates surrounding colonial persistence and decolonization within the social sciences. The dossier employs a methodology centered on documentary analysis and participatory social and political reflection, particularly through experimental approaches. The articles reviewed reveal that colonial persistence and decolonization are inherently dialectical, contradictory, and conflict-ridden, manifesting across diverse social, cultural, economic, and political domains. The uniqueness of this thematic issue lies in its ability to weave together a theoretical and conceptual discourse on symbolic and imaginary aspects within culture, spanning anthropological, legal, and educational dimensions. The analysis underscores that these issues are pluralistic and deeply intertwined with struggles over land and natural resources, enriching interdisciplinary understanding of the complex dialectical relationships between social, anthropological, economic, and political factors, alongside the aesthetics of cultural practices.