Building the state in the rural and indigenous space: an analysis from the ethnography of the state in Araucanía, Chile

Abstract

The article discusses the construction of rural and indigenous places from the focus of the “ethnography of the state” within the Araucanía Region. It is analyzed the implementation of three rural development programs for small farmers, one of them targeting Mapuche indigenous population. Thus, it focuses on the interactions between officers and citizens at the time of implementation. This approach is chosen once it allows the analysis of negotiation and power struggle spaces – that is required to be agreed by both sides to turn politics effective. Finally, it is examined the effects of these programs on the daily lives of rural and indigenous population.