Relationships, significations, and orientations toward a collective acting of the Afro descendants and Africans in Argentina

Abstract

In this work, we will analyze the collective actions of Afro descendants and Africans inArgentina regarding social movements (SMs). That is, we intend to understand therelationships, significations, and orientations toward collective action. FollowingAlberto Melucci’s approach, we should not consider SMs as an‘empiric unit’but an‘analytical category’, through which it may be possible to understand Afro-Argentinecollective social action. The SMs are social constructions, and their work should beanalyzed as a result, not as a starting point. We consider an SM as instituting, not asinstituted, as a form of collective action oriented toward the construction of a newidentity. Individuals construct their objectives, make choices, and take action accordingto the perception of their environments in relation to the social expectations. Therefore,we understand an SM as a network formed by a wide variety of groups and individualsscattered but interconnected, a network submerged in the daily life and from where thecollective identity and the links for action are structured.