Perceptions of diversity in La Matanza. Reflections on the implementation of a survey

Abstract

The objective of this article is to identify the perception of cultural diversity among different types of actors in La Matanza. The conceptions about cultural diversity that underlie the different public policies at the local scale are analyzed and the representations that general population constructs regarding migrations and cultural diversity in the district are investigated. The methodological strategy was based on the triangulation of sources, promoting dialogue between the results of a multi-sited survey with census sources and the gathering of public policies dedicated to diversity. As results, a monolithic conception of culture is identified, which associates it with pre-existing and rigid attributes such as nation and ethnicity; moreover public policies related to diversity in the district have been increasing. Regarding the perception of cultural diversity of the population, there is an over-dimensioning towards the Bolivian community and a persistence of folkloric character representations built upon the possession of essential features manifested in gastronomy, festivities and languages.