The Uses of Culture in the Last Argentine Dictatorship (1976–1983): From Studies of Repression to Analyses of the Construction of Consensus | JUne 29, 2020
by Laura Schenquer
Democratic governments are not the only ones that formulate political strategies to generate consensus. The last Argentine dictatorship (1976–1983) also developed cultural, educational, and communication policies to maintain and increase its support and to curb the opposition. However, these policies have not been studied in the postdictatorship, largely because of the prevalence of the image of the apagón cultural (cultural blackout)—the notion that the dictatorship’s project was simply repression and censorship. Examination of recently discovered official documents reveals the productive and creative character of the dictatorship’s cultural projects, which were used to increase social control and impose a certain “order.”
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Los gobiernos democráticos no son los únicos que formulan estrategias políticas para generar consenso. La última dictadura argentina (1976–1983) también desarrolló políticas culturales, educativas y de comunicación para mantener e incrementar su apoyo y frenar a la oposición. Sin embargo, estas políticas no se han estudiado en la postdictadura, en gran parte debido a la prevalencia de la imagen del apagón cultural—la noción de que el proyecto de la dictadura era simplemente represión y censura. El examen de documentos oficiales recientemente descubiertos revela el carácter productivo y creativo de los proyectos culturales de la dictadura, que se utilizaron para aumentar el control social e imponer un cierto “orden”.
Posted by Latin American Perspectives at 1:03 PM
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Labels: Argentina, Dictatorship, May 2020 issue, Military Dictatorship, Repression, Social Media
