Nuestros miedos

Abstract

The last fifteen years in Latin America have been marked by processes of modernization. These have meant a far-reaching reorganization not only of economic structures, but also of social relationships and people's daily life. However, the social and cultural effects of modernization have barely been categorized. An illustrative case is Chile, where huge advances in the process of modernization coexist with widespread social unrest. The article analyzes this unrest as an expression of insecurity and uncertainty, based on three fears: the fear of others, the fear of exclusion and the fear of meaninglessness.