Trabajo social y clientelismo político: reflexiones sobre las prácticas de asistencia clientelar en el municipio de Soacha
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This article focuses on political patronage, from a symbolic and cultural domination way, deployed in individual and collective forms, by informing citizenship’s expectations, desires, and perceptions on the political arena. This analysis draws on the outcomes of project “Political subjectivities: political patronage, clientelist assistance, and social work in Soacha municipality.” This district, located in southern Bogotá capital city, exhibits the bearings of forced displacements, informal housing development, high social vulnerability, and politics mediated by clientelist practices. We aimed to understand how political subjectivities are informed by daily experiences. Data were gathered through focal groups and interviews, and analyzed following a qualitative approach. To do this, we worked with a group of female social workers and female community leaders. Findings suggest that political patronage cannot be understood as a mere corruption issue or institutional drawback but as a structural rationale informing how citizens relate to the State, to others, and to themselves as political individuals.
Source: Tabula rasa
Institution: Universidad Colegio Mayor de Cundinamarca
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7172501221