Mercedes Máspero holds a degree in Sociology (Universidad del Salvador) and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Social Anthropology (Universidad del Salvador).ides-idaes/University of San Martín). Assistant Professor of Cultural and Social Anthropology in the Social Service career and Research Methodology in the Psychology career at Universidad del Salvador. Her undergraduate research dealt with economic practices informed by spiritual practices, particularly astrology.

Realidades socioculturales

The Celebration of Beliefs. Cultural Policies and Religious Diversity in a Public Cultural Center in the City of Buenos Aires (Argentina)

  • María Eugenia Funes
  • Mercedes Máspero
  • Mercedes Nachón Ramírez

Keywords: Argentina, religious diversity, public space, New Age spirituality, cultural policies.

The purpose behind this article is to analyze the way in which the diversity of beliefs was defined and rebuilt in a cycle organized by a public cultural center in the city of Buenos Aires. For this, we will study the uses of the category of belief and the spiritual references created by participating state agents, artists and religious and spiritual specialists. We ask ourselves the definitions of all that is religious, spiritual and the diversity of beliefs that move outside institutions traditionally linked to religion. Likewise, we set out to show, using a specific case, the way in which the concern over diversity in the design of Latin American cultural public policies can coexist with the selection of specific cultural expressions which, in this case, represent only a part of the existing religious diversity. The data were built from a qualitative strategy that included participatory observations, in-depth interviews and the analysis of documents.