Sumaq Kawsay: The Birth of a Notion?
11 Pages Posted: 21 Nov 2012
Date Written: July 1, 2010
Abstract
May the principle of Sumaq Kawsay be used to discuss about new development and organizational thinking from a Latin American perspective? The objective of this paper is to explore critically a recent development and management approach from our own locus of enunciation. Sumaq Kawsay, a Quechua expression commonly translated as “well-living” – in opposition to “well-being”, has been chosen as the leitmotiv by Ecuadorian and Bolivian Constitutions in the past two years. The academic and social groups in which the term was first used, aim to propose a new development model based in Andean cultural roots. This initiative is considered as a novel viable alternative for organizing communities, institutions and the nation as a whole. However, since it is recent to academic discussion, it is still in a very early stage, as a motivating idea in the path of constructing a development model.
Therefore, the Sumaq Kawsay notion requires more critical thinking in order to constitute itself as a theoretical perspective worth exploring. It can be considered to be a utopian view; and, as utopia, it has the anticipation capacity of foreseeing new possibilities: development paradigms that do not exist yet, but are nevertheless viable. As utopia, Sumaq Kawsay may be considered as resistance to current mainstream thinking and the proposal of a changing praxis of new possible development and organizational thinking. It is certainly risky to explore the birth of a notion that is occurring right now in the Andean area, but it is what is needed in order to learn from social experience in our present world, which is more diverse and rich than what that mainstream assumes. The paper will describe this issue from an anthropological point of view and analyze it from a sociological and organizational perspective, using the Brazilian authors Alberto Guerreiro-Ramos’ theory of social systems delineation and Fernando Tenório’s deliberative citizenship.
Keywords: Sumaq Kawsay, development, citizenship, social systems delineation, social management, organizational thinking, Ecuador
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