This is the first volume of what promises to be a major reinterpretation of Latin American political history. In this immensely learned and thoughtful study, the distinguished Argentine scholar Forment turns much conventional wisdom on its head. His starting point is the realization that the most recent "return" to democracy in Latin America was radically different from all previous such movements in one respect: it was not accompanied by a renaissance in democratic practice or thought. He thus sets out to examine how democratic life can be rebuilt from the rubble of authoritarianism, shaking himself free from overly deterministic theoretical frameworks to ask why evidently vibrant civil societies have not produced stable democratic states.
Forment's first volume focuses on the development of democratic life in Mexico and Peru from independence to the late 1890s, tracing the emergence of hundreds of political, economic, and civic associations that together formed a culture of "civic Catholicism." By carefully weaving a rich texture of detail and vignette, he shows the disjunction between daily life and institutional structure. Contrary to what Tocqueville teaches, Forment concludes that democratic life in Latin America in fact arose from this fissure — so that Latin American democracy, although weakly institutionalized, remains surprisingly robust in daily life.
"The historical evidence unearthed means the work constitutes important reading . . . not just for social and political theorists but also for historians of Latin America. . . . At times the author even begins to sound like Tocqueville."
--Jonathan Eastwood and John Stone "Theoretical Sociology""[This book] combines serious theoretical discussions in the opening and closing chapters with an incredible amount of data spread and analyzed throughout the central chapters. . . . [It] will undoubtedly become a central text in the discussion on democracy, not only in the area stuidied, but as a general topic."
--Mario Sznajder "International Sociology Review of Books""Forment provides scholars and students of Latin America's Middle Period with a challenging study of the nature and extent of democracy in what has generally been considered an authoritarian political landscape. . . . Forment's creative and evidentially expansive approach employs scale and subject to rebut the commonly held historiographical wisdom that the postindependence world of politics and public life consisted of unstable government, authoritarian rule, and an exclusionary, personalist, and clientelistic politics. In scale, he digs down to the community and local level, relying on newspapers, essays, books, pamphlets, and other forms of published writing. In subject, he breaks public life down into civic, economic, and political components. . . . In making such a broad, innovative interpretation, boldness is required. Using an abundance of primary sources, Forment reveals a world of increasingly vibrant civic, associational life, and multistrata agency in nineteenth-century Mexico and Peru up to 1880."
--Stuart F. Voss "American Historical Review"
Forment calls on a significant array of archival and periodical documentation to demonstrate the wide spectrum of social, economic, and political organizations by which Latin Americans engaged in participatory democracy, even in the absence of electoral democracy. . . . A refreshing view of identity- and nation-building that is rich in political sociology and theory.
Journal of Latin American Anthropology - Mark Szuchman
Forment provides scholars and students of Latin America’s Middle Period with a challenging study of the nature and extent of democracy in what has generally been considered an authoritarian political landscape. . . . Forment’s creative and evidentially expansive approach employs scale and subject to rebut the commonly held historiographical wisdom that the postindependence world of politics and public life consisted of unstable government, authoritarian rule, and an exclusionary, personalist, and clientelistic politics. In scale, he digs down to the community and local level, relying on newspapers, essays, books, pamphlets, and other forms of published writing. In subject, he breaks public life down into civic, economic, and political components. . . . In making such a broad, innovative interpretation, boldness is required. Using an abundance of primary sources, Forment reveals a world of increasingly vibrant civic, associational life, and multistrata agency in nineteenth-century Mexico and Peru up to 1880.”
Stuart F. Vossn Historical Review
The historical evidence unearthed means the work constitutes important reading . . . not just for social and political theorists but also for historians of Latin America. . . . At times the author even begins to sound like Tocqueville."
Theoretical Sociology - Jonathan Eastwood and John Stone
In a style, for the most part, lively and engaging, Forment offers readers an exhaustively researched view of democracy from below, and shows how Mexico and, to a lesser extent, Peru have a rich democratic heritage to feed into current debates about governance.
Bulletin of Spanish Studies - Patience A. Schell
[This book] combines serious theoretical discussions in the opening and closing chapters with an incredible amount of data spread and analyzed throughout the central chapters. . . . [It] will undoubtedly become a central text in the discussion on democracy, not only in the area stuidied, but as a general topic.”
International Sociology Review of Books - Mario Sznajder
A richly documented and immensely learned study of associational life in Mexico and Peru from 1760 to 1900. It compellingly shows that evidently vibrant civil societies did not always produce strong or stable democratic states. . . . [Forment’s] book challenges readers to reconsider most of what they think they already know about Latin America.
Comparative Politics - Omar G. Encarnación
This impressive work of both research and theory deserves to be read widely by scholars of political culture in various disciplines. Like the best historical sociology, Forment’s book combines a synthesis of historiography on nineteenth-century Latin America with a provocative interpretation. . . . [The book] can serve as a bridge between South and North for all scholars interested in the historical development of democracy."
Journal of Social History - Sarah C. Chambers
Forment provides scholars and students of Latin America’s Middle Period with a challenging study of the nature and extent of democracy in what has generally been considered an authoritarian political landscape. . . . Forment’s creative and evidentially expansive approach employs scale and subject to rebut the commonly held historiographical wisdom that the postindependence world of politics and public life consisted of unstable government, authoritarian rule, and an exclusionary, personalist, and clientelistic politics. In scale, he digs down to the community and local level, relying on newspapers, essays, books, pamphlets, and other forms of published writing. In subject, he breaks public life down into civic, economic, and political components. . . . In making such a broad, innovative interpretation, boldness is required. Using an abundance of primary sources, Forment reveals a world of increasingly vibrant civic, associational life, and multistrata agency in nineteenth-century Mexico and Peru up to 1880.”
American Historical Review - Stuart F. Voss
A richly documented and immensely learned study of associational life in Mexico and Peru from 1760 to 1900. It compellingly shows that evidently vibrant civil societies did not always produce strong or stable democratic states. . . . [Forment’s] book challenges readers to reconsider most of what they think they already know about Latin America.
Comparative Politics - Omar G. Encarnación
“Forment calls on a significant array of archival and periodical documentation to demonstrate the wide spectrum of social, economic, and political organizations by which Latin Americans engaged in participatory democracy, even in the absence of electoral democracy. . . . A refreshing view of identity- and nation-building that is rich in political sociology and theory.”
— Mark Szuchman
Journal of Latin American Anthropology
“[This book] combines serious theoretical discussions in the opening and closing chapters with an incredible amount of data spread and analyzed throughout the central chapters. . . . [It] will undoubtedly become a central text in the discussion on democracy, not only in the area stuidied, but as a general topic.”
— Mario Sznajder
International Sociology Review of Books
“The historical evidence unearthed means the work constitutes important reading . . . not just for social and political theorists but also for historians of Latin America. . . . At times the author even begins to sound like Tocqueville."
— Jonathan Eastwood and John Stone
“In a style, for the most part, lively and engaging, Forment offers readers an exhaustively researched view of democracy from below, and shows how Mexico and, to a lesser extent, Peru have a rich democratic heritage to feed into current debates about governance.”
— Patience A. Schell
Bulletin of Spanish Studies
“A richly documented and immensely learned study of associational life in Mexico and Peru from 1760 to 1900. It compellingly shows that evidently vibrant civil societies did not always produce strong or stable democratic states. . . . [Forment’s] book challenges readers to reconsider most of what they think they already know about Latin America.”
— Omar G. Encarnacion
“This impressive work of both research and theory deserves to be read widely by scholars of political culture in various disciplines. Like the best historical sociology, Forment’s book combines a synthesis of historiography on nineteenth-century Latin America with a provocative interpretation. . . . [The book] can serve as a bridge between South and North for all scholars interested in the historical development of democracy."
— Sarah C. Chambers
Journal of Social History
“Forment provides scholars and students of Latin America’s Middle Period with a challenging study of the nature and extent of democracy in what has generally been considered an authoritarian political landscape. . . . Forment’s creative and evidentially expansive approach employs scale and subject to rebut the commonly held historiographical wisdom that the postindependence world of politics and public life consisted of unstable government, authoritarian rule, and an exclusionary, personalist, and clientelistic politics. In scale, he digs down to the community and local level, relying on newspapers, essays, books, pamphlets, and other forms of published writing. In subject, he breaks public life down into civic, economic, and political components. . . . In making such a broad, innovative interpretation, boldness is required. Using an abundance of primary sources, Forment reveals a world of increasingly vibrant civic, associational life, and multistrata agency in nineteenth-century Mexico and Peru up to 1880.”
— Stuart F. Voss
American Historical Review
