ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the distinctive sociological identity of the Chilean social protest that erupted in October 2019. It stresses its juvenile character and the high educational level of its participants. The new social composition of the protest reflects the intense economic, social, political and cultural modernisation of Chilean society during the last three decades (1990–2019). In this study it is argued that in recent years this generation, with its high economic and social expectations, has experienced a strong sense of frustration. The promise to integrate this new social segment into the lifestyle of a meritocratic middle class has not been fulfilled. This dissatisfaction, typical of a disillusioned generation, has led to a collective behaviour of rebellion which signifies a rejection of society’s cultural goal of individual success and of education to achieve that end.
