The Democratic Dream in a Multicultural Society : A minor field study about democracy and indigenous political participation in Bolivia

• Main Author: Larsson, Nalinn
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för statsvetenskap (ST) 2013
• Subjects: Bolivia; indigenous; political participation; democracy; inclusion; influence
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-29507

The purpose of this paper is to investigate if the political participation has increased in practice for the former excluded indigenous people in Bolivia during the Morales administration and with the establishment of a new constitution, in order to see whether democracy has been deepened in the country or not. The thesis is carried out with a case study design and material consists mainly of qualitative interviews with different indigenous organizations and NGOs, as well as previous research on the area. The theoretical framework is based on dimensions on participation in where the three areas of inclusion, spaces for participation and influence are examined in order to investigate the purpose. The thesis argues that the political participation has not increased for all of the different indigenous groups, but for some; the smaller indigenous groups in the lowland have not experienced an increased political participation, whilst the three biggest indigenous groups, Aymara and Quechua in the highland, and Guaraní in the lowland, feel that their political participation has increased. Since some indigenous groups have experienced change and an increased political participation it is argued that the democracy has been deepened to a small degree.