Mapuche community and workerisms in post-industrial contexts: The representation of Chile at the Conference “Deindustrialization and Reconnected Reindustrialization”
On May 31st, 2023, the presentation of deindustrialization studies from various parts of the world commenced. In this setting, Dr. María Esperanza Rock, accompanied by Dr. Irene Díaz Martínez, represented Lota and Asturias at an international conference.
This initiative is part of the National Agency for Research and Development’s (ANID) FONDECYT initiation project titled “Memories of Urban and Cultural Transformations of Deindustrialization in the Global North and South.” Spearheaded by Dr. Rock, the study is currently underway at the University of Concepción.
Furthermore, Dr. Irene Díaz, who oversees the “Oral Archive for the Sources of Social History of Asturias,” housing collections of oral testimonies from former workers of the Asturias coal basin, will embark on a research residency in the Biobío region alongside Dr. Rock during November.
The study presented focuses on the cultural representations of industrial memory in contemporary times, shedding light on the differences and similarities observed through a critical examination of deindustrialization from a comparative perspective between the global north and south.
The forum aimed to showcase various studies on deindustrialization worldwide, emphasizing the frequent connection between deindustrialization and forms of reindustrialization.
“The concept of deindustrialization in Chile is being challenged due to the extensive development of extractive transnational companies in our territory. Therefore, we must critically and analytically examine the events in coal regions that are now transitioning into slaughter zones,” remarked Dr. Rock.
Additionally, it was elucidated how the transformations linked to deindustrialization did not always result in the complete obliteration of industrial centers or abandonment of urban environments. This process is often associated with the Rust Belt of the United States and the heavy industry centers in formerly socialist countries.