Description
Juvenicide
Book Summary
A profound and necessary analysis of the systematic violence suffered by youth in Latin America, based on the emblematic case of the forced disappearance of 43 students from Ayotzinapa in 2014. José Manuel Valenzuela Arce examines how social stigma, inequality, and security policies turn young people into public enemies, stripping them of their status as citizens. This work is a key tool for understanding the dynamics of exclusion and the criminalization of youth in contexts of social crisis.
What is it about?
The book begins with the tragic event that occurred on September 26, 2014, in Iguala, Mexico, where 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers' College were disappeared. Based on this event, the author develops the concept of "juvenicide" to describe a pattern of lethal violence directed against poor, racialized, and marginalized youth. Valenzuela Arce analyzes how security discourses and repressive policies turn certain youth sectors into scapegoats, justifying their physical and symbolic elimination. Throughout its pages, the structural roots of this violence, state complicity, and the resistance of youth movements fighting for justice and dignity are explored.
Main themes
- Structural violence and the criminalization of youth in Latin America.
- Social inequality, racial discrimination, and exclusion as factors of vulnerability.
- The Ayotzinapa case as a symbol of impunity and state repression.
- Construction of media and political narratives that stigmatize young people.
- Social resistance, youth movements, and the fight for human rights.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at students and professionals in social sciences, sociology, anthropology, and criminology, as well as activists, educators, and anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of violence and exclusion that affect youth in contexts of inequality. It is also of great value to readers committed to human rights and social justice.
What this book contributes
- A critical and documented perspective on systematic violence against youth in Latin America.
- The development of the "juvenicide" concept as an analytical tool to understand lethal exclusion.
- A detailed analysis of the Ayotzinapa case and its political and social implications.
- Keys to reflecting on the role of the State and the media in the criminalization of youth.
- Testimonies and evidence that make visible the resistance and the fight for justice.
Technical specifications
- Author: Valenzuela Arce, José Manuel
- Publisher: Ned Ediciones
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: LITERARY ESSAYS, VIOLENCE IN SOCIETY, SOCIAL DISCRIMINATION AND INEQUALITY, EDUCATION PEDAGOGY
- Collection: CHILDREN AND YOUTH LIBRARY
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: October 2015
- Number of pages: 288
- Weight: 410 g
Editorial review
An essential reference work for those seeking to understand the roots of contemporary violence against youth in Latin America. Valenzuela Arce's analytical rigor, combined with the symbolic power of the Ayotzinapa case, makes this essay a necessary read for academics, activists, and citizens concerned about the human rights crisis in the region. Its interdisciplinary approach and commitment to social denunciation position it as a fundamental text within the debate on youth, exclusion, and justice.