Evolving Conceptions of Violence and Security in Latin America

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

This panel explores citizen security initiatives in Latin America. Since the return to electoral democracy, violence has increased in many Latin American countries, making security a pressing issue across the region. Crime reduction policies now center on citizen security and civil society instead of national security and the state. Various security policies seek to foster a culture of citizenship, build social capital, enable reconciliation, and facilitate conflict resolution. This panel explores the assumptions about the nature of violence in these policies, assesses the relationship between culture and violence, and explores the promise of citizen security initiatives in Latin America today.

Sub Track

• Defense, Violence, and (In)security

Chair

• Kimberly S Theidon, Harvard University

Individual Presentations

• Seguridad ciudadana en América Latina: la democracia participativa a prueba de la “razón de la fuerza” - Mila S Ivanovic, Instituto de Altos Estudios Nacionales en Quito

• From Not-Knowing to Knowing: Changing Crime Stories in San Salvador, 1994-2014 - Ellen E Moodie, University of Illinois

• Cultura Ciudadana: Violence and Insecurity in Contemporary Colombia - Stacey L Hunt, Auburn University