Memories of citizenship

The vicissitudes of a battered polis. The Uruguayan experience, 1950-2011

Abstract

This is the introductory chapter of Memorias de ciudadanía. The vicissitudes of a battered polis. The Uruguayan experience, 1950-2012, a research I recently concluded. The institutional support of the claeh made it possible to carry out the fieldwork. I am especially grateful to Romeo Pérez Antón and José Rilla for having made this support possible. My research team had the excellent participation of Natalia Moreira, Víctor Peralta, Ana Vigna, Kalle Dahlquist (Sweden) and Mónica Belevan (Peru), under the coordination of Paulo Ravecca -to whom my academic and personal gratitude is difficult to express-. Two specific chapters -referring to the political trajectory of the Uruguayan theatrical field- were presented at the Faculty of Culture of the Claeh (October 2011) before a group of actors and directors of independent theater interviewed in the course of the research. I thank Cecilia Pérez Mondino for the initiative. Special acknowledgement is also due to Susana Mallo Reynal and Rafael Paternain for the opportunity to present the results of the research in a discussion with professors and students of social sciences and humanities at the Universidad de la República organized by the Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Sociology (May 2012). The publication (in English and Spanish) of the study is anticipated for 2013. The careful reading and comments of Rafael Paternain and José Rilla, two invaluable interlocutors who have accompanied the research since its inception, helped me to improve the final draft of the introductory chapter. The Spanish translation of the chapter was under the care of Paulo Ravecca.