CENTROS MEC. ANALYSIS OF A CULTURAL PUBLIC POLICY WITH TERRITORIAL BASE IN URUGUAY DURING THE LAST DECADE.

Abstract

The progressive era, since 2005 with the rise of the Frente Amplio for the first time to national government until today, has marked changes in the design and implementation of the public policies in Uruguay. This change of conception, together with a human rights perspective, it also has operated in the public policies of culture and in the recognition of cultural rights. In this sense, for its characteristics and the perspective generated ten years after its creation, Centros MEC (2007) is a relevant case for analysis. Considering its territorial dimension – 127 centers located throughout the national territory that involve articulation and coordination of the three levels of government – and its institutional dimension – consolidation as a public cultural policy and hierarchy within the Department for Education and Culture (MEC) – the present article proposes to investigate in its scope and limitations in terms of inclusion – social, cultural, inter-generational, technological-digital – and access to consumption and creation of cultural assets. To do so in terms of democracy from a cultural citizenship perspective; two aspects of this public cultural policy will be considered particularly: on the one hand, its concept of decentralization and, on the other, its process of construction of demand.