In order to start thinking about the future and charting the way(s) forward, we need to conduct a mapping of social movements in Latin America today, building on what we have found out in the case studies above. The notion of cognitive mapping is integral to our cultural political economy approach, which seeks to depict social space, and in our case social movements, in the current epoch. We need a method for “cognitive mapping” to understand the current state of play of social movements in the new political era now opening up in Latin America “after” the progressive turn. On this basis, we can move to the second section of this conclusion to examine the lessons we can draw from our six case studies in relation to the theoretical framework we laid out in the opening chapters. What was presented as a mosaic of distinct social movements for the sake of analysis is now shown as a holistic and integrated social counter-movement. I examine their relation to state politics, NGOs and civil society as well as their international projection. Finally, I seek to move “beyond the fragments” in terms of the dispersed, even divided, map of social movements in Latin America today. What is the common social or political denominator that might make the whole greater than the sum of its parts? We explore, in particular, the notion of “democratic equivalents” and the way in which social movements might become harbingers of a new social order.

Mapping

The categories of analysis that informed our case studies in the pages above are the obvious ones. We have focused on the complex and contradictory relationships between social movements with the state, political parties and civil society. It moved us beyond the old belief that social groups have “interests” that they pursued automatically. We must examine instead the complex process of grievance articulation, protests around them and the construction of social movements with a clear objective. We need to examine their articulation with other social movements and mediations with the political process. Finally, we need to examine the national and transnational alliances they form.