Cultural policy: Simón Espinosa

Abstract

The text, presented by Dr. Simón Espinosa as a replacement for the Rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (PUCE) , addresses the necessity of structuring a cultural policy for the country, starting from the university's role. Espinosa highlights a central contradiction in Ecuadorian identity: a fragmentation into provincial, tribal, and partialized identities, rather than a cohesive national one. This is exacerbated by the imitation of foreign cultural models (Europe/USA) and the neglect or devaluation of indigenous cultures. To counter this, the PUCE proposed making the study of Ecuadorian society the core of its academic formation. The document outlines a plan to systematize this study through a series of courses, ultimately suggesting the term "Courses on Ecuadorian Society" (replacing "Ecuadorian Culture") to encompass all social levels: economic, social, political, cultural, and ideological. Two models for structuring these seven courses are presented: one based on social levels and another on historical economic stages. The goal is to move beyond being mere receptors of metropolitan knowledge and develop "our own theoretical models" to interpret national reality critically and realistically.