Meghan Kelly '18, Educational Studies and Sociology/Anthropology Honors Special Major

Compañeras en Acción: Female Teenage Activism in the Chilean Student Movement

Since 2006, Chilean students have demanded free, public, good-quality education for all. I study female teenage activists to discover where, in the social movement life cycle, this student movement is now, and where it may be heading. My research in Santiago suggests that the movement continues to exist, and it is strengthened by the energy of female teenage activists. Looking ahead, however, the movement appears at risk of decline due to government repression, co-optation, organizational failure, and lack of strategic planning. The girls’ narratives importantly provide insight on youth capacity to influence transnational educational and political landscapes.