Preliminary Analyses on Participation and Social Stratification in Paraguay

In: Anuario Latinoamericano – Ciencias Políticas y Relaciones Internacionales, Band 14, S. 13-29

Abstract

This article examines the level of participation of the Paraguayan population in associations and civil society organizations, according to their social stratification. The analysis is raised from the approach of the social dimension of exclusion that includes the indicator of "associationism". The types of organizations that register the highest level of participation of the population are also identified. The methodology used was predominantly quantitative. Information on the living conditions of the Paraguayan population was collected through surveys in 4,000 homes in Asunción and the departments of Central, Alto Paraná, Itapúa, Caaguazú and San Pedro. The results showed that the highest level of participation of the population is registered in the middle socioeconomic stratum, specifically in political parties, religious associations and neighborhood commissions. In general terms, the percentage of participants in the various associations in the country does not exceed 10% of the population surveyed, including the three strata (low, medium and high).