Abstract
This chapter introduces research in to legal consciousness and resistance in the plurinational state of Bolivia, South America. It presents the context within which the fieldwork took place, at a time where indigenous President Evo Morales had not only implemented a New Constitution, but also enacted a new law to Guarantee Women a Life Free From Violence (Law 348). This chapter provides insights in to findings from twelve months of ethnographic research with Bolivian women, civil society organisations and state bodies that sought to explore the relationship that women have with the law, including the meaning that it has in their everyday lives. While the enactment of Law 348 offered opportunities for emancipation and access to justice, it also revealed the challenges that women face when engaging with formal legal spaces when they seek to mobilise their rights. Through an analysis of legal consciousness, the full weight of stereotypes and patriarchal attitudes that have justified violence against women are revealed. The chapter also includes an extended biography of the researcher.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Emerging voices |
| Subtitle of host publication | critical social research by European Group postgraduate and early career researchers |
| Editors | Samantha Fletcher, Holly White |
| Place of Publication | London |
| Publisher | EG Press |
| Chapter | 16 |
| Pages | 179-192 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781911439097 |
| Publication status | Published - 23 Jul 2017 |
Keywords
- Justice
- Women
- Human rights
- Law
- Legal consciousness
- Bolivia
- Resistance