Volume 5, Issue 1, 2025
Paulo Ravecca

, Diego Rossello

, Guillermina Seri

Pages 232-254
https://doi.org/10.5840/pga202542580
(Latin) American Political Theory? In-Betweenness and Intersecting Exclusions
This essay critically explores the landscape of political theory through our transient experiences as theorists who were raised and educated in Latin America and obtained PhD degrees from North American universities. We argue that our transiting through geographies, styles of thinking, and modes of writing¡ªwhat we call in-betweenness¡ªcan distinctly nurture democratic conversations and theorizing. Yet these opportunities tend to be hijacked by a series of intersecting exclusions. With this term, we refer to the silencing and invisibilization that Latin American theorists experience in addition to the marginalization of political theory within political science everywhere. In Global North conversations, our contributions are consistently diminished by distorted imaginaries and narratives about Latin America, with a loss for everyone. The analysis draws on current efforts to question power dynamics within political theory and political science. With these critiques, we share the conviction that a more open field would benefit us all. Given that the world faces challenges of existential proportions, including everyone in the conversation as equals, we contend, constitutes a fundamental move toward collective renewal and even survival.