In this presentation I draw from experiences of fieldwork conducted in Venezuela at different intervals between 2004 and 2016 to illustrate how different conceptions of human nature mediate people's understanding of corruption in relation to politics, democracy and the state.
Paper long abstract:
In this presentation I draw from experiences of fieldwork conducted in Venezuela at different intervals between 2004 and 2016 to illustrate how different conceptions of human nature mediate people's understanding of corruption in relation to politics, democracy and the state.
I aim to set grounds for a discussion of the way in which different narratives on the human condition are used to explain the causes of social problems and their potential solution, and how those narratives underpin people's political positioning within the polarised scenario that characterises the country.