Who’s in Charge in the Community? Perceptions of Students on Power, Political Actors, and the State

Abstract

We offer an analysis of a course taught during the 2012-2013 academic year to students from the Intercultural University of Veracruz. The article describes the context of the University, its teaching methods, and the subjects offered. Then, the article identifies students’ perceptions of power, political actors, institutions, and the State according to their everyday reality and multicultural environment. Finally, as a result of the findings, the article interprets the ways in which the youngsters conceive power and their mistrusting and ambiguous vision of the State and public institutions.