Why Borders of Culture do not Coincide with Those of Identity? Theoretical Perspectives from Latin America

Abstract

The essay starts from a reassessment of the concepts of «culture» and «identity», of their entanglements as well as of their differences. While the concept of «identity» is analyzed through anthropological and ethnographic studies, the concept of «culture» is scrutinized thanks to the decisive contributions of the theories of «nation». If the metaphor of ethnicity has allowed indeed to think the logics of identity, the metaphor of an heterotopic and heterochronic nation can help to think the logics situated in the heterogeneity of culture. Lastly, the notion of «cultural configuration» is proposed as a new perspective through which it's possible to interpret political and social processes.