Recent feminist movements, such as Ni Una Menos, have been protesting Argentina’s gendered social structure since 2015, which has been challenged and evolved over the past 40 years through the...Show moreRecent feminist movements, such as Ni Una Menos, have been protesting Argentina’s gendered social structure since 2015, which has been challenged and evolved over the past 40 years through the actions of other social movements. As Argentina entered a new period of economic uncertainty in 2018, Ni Una Menos emerged as a key actor in opposing the government’s economic policies, seemingly drifting away from its original goal to advance women’s rights in the country. This thesis therefore analyses the movement’s motivations behind its involvement in protesting the current debt crisis in Argentina. It finds that economic crises undoubtedly impact women to a higher extent than men, explaining Ni Una Menos’ involvement. Furthermore, an analysis of the declaration of strike of March 8th, 2020, suggests that the movement might be motivated by a desire to increase its mobilisation base. By using the consequences of the economic crisis and the implications of the debt to foster critical consciousness in the Argentine population, it can increase protests and advocate for deeper structural change.Show less
When questioned about the European Union’s (EU) austerity policy in Europe’s ongoing debt crisis, German Chancellor Angela Merkel responded that the term ‘austerity’ "makes it sound like something...Show moreWhen questioned about the European Union’s (EU) austerity policy in Europe’s ongoing debt crisis, German Chancellor Angela Merkel responded that the term ‘austerity’ "makes it sound like something truly evil. […] I call it balancing the budget”. This quote highlights the paradox that is the central thematic concern of this thesis: how economic issues and policies are represented as objectively-determined technical concerns, abstracted from and unrelated to political and ideological disputes. This thesis aims to relate the critical study of political discourse in economic crisis to a critique of the dominant social perception of economics as a scientific study: ‘scientific’ in the positivist sense as being founded upon empirical analysis, exclusive of ideational or normative dimensions. Influenced by the Gramscian concept of ‘cultural hegemony’ and related critical theories of discourse, I argue that the hegemonic scientific representation of economics - in political, media and academic discourses - constitutes an important subject for critical analysis because of its correlation with the de-politicisation of economics.Show less
