The chilean spring: neither conservative nor revolutionary. A sociological explanation of the historical meaning of the 2011 chilean university movement

Abstract

The Chilean university movement of 2011 has been well-covered and analyzed in the specialized literature. This article analyzes its historical evolution and proposes a sociological explanation for the changes in the themes of its demands, since its origins in beginning of the 20^th century to its current emphasis on education which is free, of quality and public. Historical demands, such as the political role of Chilean universities, have become less important in comparison to demands for equal access to higher education, due to its role in social mobility. It is suggested that these transformations result from immediate factors, such as changes in the composition of Chilean universities, their institutional characteristics and the dominant political discourse, and global trends regarding contemporary universities, such as the increasing importance of equity in higher education and the mission attributed to the universities in advancing objectives of social mobility.