Abstract

MOYA DIAZ, Emilio; PELFINI, Alejandro  and  AGUILAR NOVOA, Omar. The reactions of the business elite to the problems and demands of the Araucania region in Chile. Estud. sociol [online]. 2018, vol.36, n.107, pp.283-310. ISSN 2448-6442.  https://doi.org/10.24201/es.2018v36n107.1491.

This article analyzes the reflexivity level used by the business elite to answer discoursively to three problems and demands in the Araucania region of Chile, namely, the Chilean-Mapuche conflict, the high poverty levels and the low statehood. Three types of reactions are identified: adaptation, reconversion, learning, fear, and indifference. Through a qualitative framework (documental analysis and interviews), we conclude that the answers are characterized by a degree one of reflexivity, that is, considering the criticisms to their projects as threats resulting from external factors and agents; the resulting answers are of minimization, denial, or invisibilization. This explains that reactions to problems are characterized by fear and indifference.

Keywords : business elite; problems; reflexivity; reactions.