Date of Award

6-2008

Document Type

Open Access

Department

Political Science

Language

English

Keywords

identity, Plaza de Mayo, human rights, feminism

Abstract

My thesis involves an analytical study of the Madres and the Abuelas of the Plaza de Mayo and a documentary on these two human rights groups framed around the issues of identity and human rights and their importance for all individuals in both a political and personal respect. Through my research, I concluded that the Madres must be conceptualized as a revolutionary organization that combines both feminine and feminist elements in order to achieve its ultimate goals. I argue that the Madres must be interpreted and understood as a combination of these two frameworks, and that due to the complexity of their work, they must not be pigeonholed into a single category. Furthermore, I explored the concept of identity. Through my research and work with the Abuelas of the Plaza de Mayo, I concluded that one’s identity is the fundamental aspect that distinguishes him from his peers and designates a particular place for him within the public and private spheres. Identities can be conceived of as something as basic as one’s gender or one’s race, or on a much more complex level, such as one’s personal creeds or moral beliefs. In this respect, since one’s identity serves as a fundamental aspect of his being, the Abuelas’ efforts to return the true identities to these illegally “adopted” children is particularly urgent. As such, my project not only explores the importance of this identity recovery process, but my documentary also highlights the Abuelas’ project in hopes of spreading awareness about their work.

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