ABSTRACT
IN THIS CHAPTER, we look more closely at the economic structure of Latin America because almost all Latin America’s political movements are calling for significant change in the social class structure of the region. This does not necessarily mean that they all wish to abandon capitalism and embrace socialism. Nor does it mean that environmental defense, ethnic and cultural survival, gender, rights, and other issues generating social movements ultimately can be reduced somehow to the issues of social class. We will see in the next chapter that movements focused on these matters have grown in importance. Take this chapter, then, as the first of two dedicated to help you understand what is going on with Latin American civil society today, and how the increasingly vibrant civil society is shaping demands for democracy.
