ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the enormous number of social movements throughout Latin America and the Caribbean today, the multiplicity of actors, themes, conflicts, and orientations is overwhelming. It attempts to represent the new—that is, the multiplicity and complexity of the new sociocultural actors who today produce our societies. The chapter presents the current landscape of social movements in Latin America and outline the main reasons for their appearance, without delving into the study of any single movement in particular. It outlines the necessary parallel changes that must take place at the level of Latin American social sciences if we are to provide appropriate interpretations of the new movements. In terms of theory and methodology, the conflict stems from the fact that, although researchers must make use of the best available theoretical and methodological tools, they must also account for the specific processes proper to the region. Syncretism has been an important feature of Latin American social science.
