Cultural policy: Pedro Saad Herreria

Abstract

The text, a speech by Lcdo. Pedro Saad Herrería, a socio-political researcher, argues that a genuine cultural policy has historically been absent in Ecuador because the dominant classes, the big landowners and the early bourgeoisie, did not need to convince the populace; it was cheaper and easier to conquer them through force and maintain their exploitation through ignorance and illiteracy. Culture is defined not as an innocent, universal element, but as a fact of class, a means for the dominant classes to provide ideological coherence to their economic exploitation. This is exemplified by the minimization of the human condition of the indigenous people and Black slaves to justify their oppression. The situation changes with the rise of a new, industrialized bourgeoisie, especially after the 1972 oil boom, which needs a more technically skilled workforce. This new class requires a cultural policy—a system of conviction via education, media, and social sciences—to ensure the qualified workers remain subservient. The greatest danger is the dominant classes' attempt to seduce Ecuadorian intellectuals into conducting micro-sociological research that is methodologically polished but lacks the vigor to pursue social change. The essential task for intellectuals and social researchers is to use their refined scientific tools to serve the oppressed, fight for the liberation of the Ecuadorian people, and advance the Social Revolution.