"Reciprocication in Democratization" - A Field Study on Mayan Political Participation in Guatemala

Abstract: Over the centuries the Mayan indigenous population has been excluded from power politics in Guatemala. During the last decades much attention by scholars has been placed on the Mayan movement, as a new and unconventional political actor. In this study I examine why and how this actor has emerged, with specific consideration on the shift from class to culture. By drawing on theories of civil society, I evaluate the movement's fundamental role in Guatemalan political life. Looking at a more general socio-political continuum, one finds that the movement's development coincides with a period of democratization and normalization of politics for the country as a whole. Fundamental attention is placed on linkages between Mayan activists as members of civil society and the traditional institutions such as political parties and government bodies. It is clear that over the last decade many activists have taken a more pragmatic view of the state and traditional politics. Old internal conflicts, within the movement have been reduced, and many agents today call for a political struggle of involvement to reach results.