ABSTRACT
This chapter demonstrates how and to what extent de-politicization manifests itself, what activities fall by the wayside, what replaces them, and why this phenomenon occurs. It represents an assertion and documentation of the existence of de-politicization as one aspect of organizational transformation after a change in political context from authoritarianism to democracy. On the level of the individual, there are no statistics available that allow for a measurement of de-politicization over time in Chile. In most Latin American countries, one might look at the level of voter participation. Among organizations, it is the groups that were most highly politicized throughout the transition period that now show marked patterns of de-politicization — a phenomenon most notable among functional organizations. Civil society may embrace democratic participation, but it shuns — and is discouraged from — political participation.
