Cultura ciudadana. Renegotiating the Boundary between State and Society

In this paper I analyze the continued existence of the Colombian state despite widespread crime and violence. Contemporary theorists posit that the state must subscribe to the image of an entity that is relatively autonomous from civil society and able to monopolize violence. However, citizen cultur...

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Main Author: Stacey L. Hunt
Format: Article
Language:Spanish
Published: Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Sede Ecuador 2015-05-01
Series:Íconos
Subjects:
Online Access:http://revistas.flacsoandes.edu.ec/iconos/article/view/1674/1303
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author Stacey L. Hunt
author_facet Stacey L. Hunt
author_sort Stacey L. Hunt
collection DOAJ
description In this paper I analyze the continued existence of the Colombian state despite widespread crime and violence. Contemporary theorists posit that the state must subscribe to the image of an entity that is relatively autonomous from civil society and able to monopolize violence. However, citizen culture (cultura ciudadana), the innovative crime reduction policy I study here, is based on the premise that the state is unable to provide security for its inhabitants given the existence of a culture of violence. The policy encourages citizens to assume responsibility for their own security provision by adopting a culture of citizenship. I argue that citizen culture functions to legitimize the state despite ongoing violence by transferring responsibility for security provision from the state to civil society. It does so by inundating public space with educational spectacles, symbols, and slogans that circumscribe public debate and instruct citizen’s behavior. Citizen culture uses educational and symbolic programming to shift responsibility for security provision from the state to society, thereby altering the boundary between state and society and redefining the very essence of the modern state.
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institution Kabale University
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spelling doaj-art-7c69828f64f6478c943ce44d8186e2552025-02-02T08:50:29ZspaFacultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Sede EcuadorÍconos1390-12491390-12492015-05-01195211914110.1714/iconos.52.2015.1674Cultura ciudadana. Renegotiating the Boundary between State and SocietyStacey L. Hunt0Ph. D. Profesora, Auburn University, Estados UnidosIn this paper I analyze the continued existence of the Colombian state despite widespread crime and violence. Contemporary theorists posit that the state must subscribe to the image of an entity that is relatively autonomous from civil society and able to monopolize violence. However, citizen culture (cultura ciudadana), the innovative crime reduction policy I study here, is based on the premise that the state is unable to provide security for its inhabitants given the existence of a culture of violence. The policy encourages citizens to assume responsibility for their own security provision by adopting a culture of citizenship. I argue that citizen culture functions to legitimize the state despite ongoing violence by transferring responsibility for security provision from the state to civil society. It does so by inundating public space with educational spectacles, symbols, and slogans that circumscribe public debate and instruct citizen’s behavior. Citizen culture uses educational and symbolic programming to shift responsibility for security provision from the state to society, thereby altering the boundary between state and society and redefining the very essence of the modern state.http://revistas.flacsoandes.edu.ec/iconos/article/view/1674/1303stateviolencesecuritycivil societypolitical cultureColombia
spellingShingle Stacey L. Hunt
Cultura ciudadana. Renegotiating the Boundary between State and Society
Íconos
state
violence
security
civil society
political culture
Colombia
title Cultura ciudadana. Renegotiating the Boundary between State and Society
title_full Cultura ciudadana. Renegotiating the Boundary between State and Society
title_fullStr Cultura ciudadana. Renegotiating the Boundary between State and Society
title_full_unstemmed Cultura ciudadana. Renegotiating the Boundary between State and Society
title_short Cultura ciudadana. Renegotiating the Boundary between State and Society
title_sort cultura ciudadana renegotiating the boundary between state and society
topic state
violence
security
civil society
political culture
Colombia
url http://revistas.flacsoandes.edu.ec/iconos/article/view/1674/1303
work_keys_str_mv AT staceylhunt culturaciudadanarenegotiatingtheboundarybetweenstateandsociety