Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

8-2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Sociology

Major Professor

Michelle Christian

Committee Members

Michelle Christian, Bill McClanahan, Tim Gill,Kasey Henricks

Abstract

This dissertation examines the transnational influence of U.S.-centered cultural, religious, and educational ideals on post-dictatorship Chile, focusing on how these forces shape constructions of whiteness, governance, and resistance. Grounded in Global Critical Race Theory, it analyzes how global white supremacy and neoliberalism are reproduced and contested in Chile’s IX Region, a conservative area referred to as part of the “Chilean Bible Belt.” Through thematic analysis of fifty interviews with educational and religious leaders and institutional texts, this study reveals how symbolic whiteness operates as a key axis of social aspiration and political legitimacy. I introduce two conceptual figures: the Chileno Permitido, the ideal neoliberal racial citizen aligned with Anglo-Saxon values, evangelical conservatism, and elite bilingual education; and the Chileno Subversivo, a counter-subject resisting racial hierarchies through indigenous epistemologies, collective solidarity, and activist resistance. These figures illustrate how whiteness is constructed and contested through institutions that naturalize inequality under the guise of meritocracy. The role of neoliberal multiculturalism in managing diversity without redistributing power, thereby sustaining racialized governance, is also explored. A major takeaway of the research is the persistence of ongoing reproductions of whiteness and the critical potential of subversive subjectivities in challenging dominant racial orders. The findings contribute to sociological theories of race and neoliberalism and open avenues for future research on gender, digital media, and racialized minorities in Latin America.

Comments

Made the revisions requested.

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