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CÓRDOBA – CULTURE & SOCIETY
By Osvaldo Carnero
Before
beginning our “cultural panorama” of Córdoba, it will be necessary to explain
three terms that sociologists are using with ever increasing frequency. The terms
refer to the character structure of the members of a society, and they have
been widely adopted after David Riesman, in The Lonely Crowd (1950),
adopted and defined them. According to Riesman three types of character
structure may be distinguished in the members that make up societies: the
tradition-directed, the inner-directed and the other-directed.
In a tradition-directed
society, each generation receives from the preceding one the patterns of
behavior that characterize it. In an inner-directed society, “the source
of direction for the individual is inner in the sense that it is
implanted early in life by the elders and directed towards generalized... goals
or principles.” (Riesman, Ibid. p.30). In an other-directed society, the
individual turns to his “peer group” for guidance in behavioral patterns.
Again,
according to a widely spread belief in sociological studies, most societies
tend to evolve from the first one, through the second one, and into the third
one... with the passing of time. The expansion of technology and the shifting
of social position brought about by the industrialization of the end of the
nineteenth century and early twentieth
century in Córdoba, produced the awakening from a very stable, traditional
society into a more flexible pattern, characterized by renewal of ideas, and a
questioning attitude, based on principles, that lead to events such as the
University Reform of the 1918. In this sense we can proudly say that Cordoba
was a pioneer that exported change to the rest of the country; up to a
certain extent – and this hasn’t been
the only occasion – Cordoba was the place where social and political changes
started... The so called Cordobazo of the ’60, a strong popular response
to military dictatorship, is a later instance of this phenomenon.
What about
the second transition, from an inner-directed society into an other-directed
society, the typical change of the twentieth century in most Western countries?
– Again, Riesman says that the main cause for this shift are “the decrease of
the birth rate, the increase of material abundance and leisure, and the
transition from an agrarian to an urban society” and “finding themselves in a
centralized and bureaucratized society”. Reading this ideas, one can’t avoid
thinking of the contrast between Buenos Aires and inner Argentina in general;
and Córdoba in particular.
No doubt all
Argentina, especially during the relative affluence of some periods of recent
times, previous to this deep economic crisis, followed the general Western tendency
towards becoming a consumer society... I admit that, in this respect, Córdoba
was not an exception. The main difference is that Buenos Aires, due to its
typical cosmopolitan attitude, showed most characteristics of an other-directed
society, whereas Córdoba remained half-way... a kind of compromise between tradition and change.
Religion
After having viewed the colonial past of Córdoba, within the context of
Argentina, and seen that religion was an important controlling force in most
areas, the question of its subsequent role in society is sure to arise. One
important difference with the United States was that in Argentina, and in Córdoba
in particular, there was not -at least
in the beginning- a clear separation of
State and Church. It was comparatively late in history when the formal
separation took place.
As we have seen in our history panorama, the Catholic Church -and the Jesuit Order in particular- was a very influential factor in the shaping
of the early life of Córdoba. It was an almost universally acknowledged truth
that being a religious person could be equated with being a “good” member of
society. It was believed that “a society
could not exist without morals...” and, further, that “it was difficult to conceive that a people could have morals
when it had no religion.” – Thus it was predominantly believed that “the
maintenance of a religious spirit was of great political interest”.
Just as an illustration of the deeply ingrained religious attitude which
is at the basis of Cordobese culture, I will translate for you one line from a
song that every person in Córdoba knows well:
“Ciudad de mis
amores, antigua y religiosa...” (“My beloved, ancient, religious city!”)
It is important to point out, though, that side by side with this
religious attitude, there developed an alternative view: As early as in the 1880’s a famous High
School in Córdoba – Alejandro Carbó School – brought some Protestant teachers from the United States (“a group
of respectable ladies”) to teach the children of Cordoba. The initiative was
partly from the school, partly from Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, at the time
President of Argentina, a man who produced an epochal development in Argentine
education. As you can imagine, this event was quite controversial. Some
conservative Catholics labeled it a scandal... It even dealt to a diplomatic
crisis between Argentina and Vatican.
In the same line of thought it is worth mentioning the fact that the
University Reform of 1918 meant, among many other things, a step to the
liberalization of the university system from its original clerical pattern.
One characteristic of nowadays religious practice that deserves
mentioning is its secularism. It is an almost universally acknowledged fact
that the contemplative and mystical elements of religion have -to a large extent- been left aside, in favor of the practice of
good deeds. This is a tendency that you can also see in the typical Sunday
school teaching.
Government & politics
Talking about politics in general, and about political parties in
particular, it could be said that Cordoba has, up to a certain extent, been
“the black sheep of the family”. This can be said in two senses: at an
inter-party level and at an intra-party level.
When I say inter-party level, I am referring to the frequent case when
the National Government (the Federal Government) was in the hands of one of the
two big parties and the Provincial Government (the State Government) was held
by the other political party.
When I say intra-party level, I am referring to the situation when both,
National Government and Provincial Government were in the hands of the same
political party, but he President of the republic and the Governor of the
province belonged to two different (often antagonist) wings of the
same political party.
At this point of my presentation of the topic you may be wondering why
the emphasis... Supposedly each order, each jurisdiction, should do what is
best for all; and a compromise between nation and province should naturally
arise...
Unfortunately this has not been the case; and too often the central
government has used its constitutional right to decide on the redistribution of
wealth as a political tool to exercise pressure. Conversely, the provinces have
sometimes managed to boycott reasonable federal initiatives, the ones calling
for austerity; or the ones opposing the coining of local currencies.
In order to show two distinctive features of Córdoba in this field, I will refer to the Constitution Reform
of 1987; and the one in 2001. The first
allowed for a second 4-year period of administration to the same governor,
among other things; it also introduced the referendum, a semi-direct
democracy instrument. The second was aimed at reducing the number of houses in
the provincial legislature, from 2 to only one, in order to cut down
expenses...
Political parties do not directly reflect the tendencies in the federal
order. For many years the province or Cordoba was a stronghold of the Union
Civica Radical (UCR), even in times of Peronista rule at national level. The
City of Cordoba had some epochal UCR administrations, such as the rule of the
recently deceased late Mayor Ramon Mestre, which resulted in great
advance in public works and security for the city. His rival from Union por
Cordoba (Peronista), Jose Manuel de la Sota, though, won the last
elections, and is at the moment Governor of the province for a third period.
Education
The educational system in Córdoba has certain differences with the one
in Buenos Aires and in most Argentine provinces. The organization is as
follows:
Kindergarten recruits 4-year-old children and 5-year-old children.
In any case, the children will start the next level when they are 6 years old.
The main aim is to develop habits and to socialize children manly through play.
The primary school lasts 6 years. The child has to learn to read and
write, to express himself orally and by writing and a basic information in science, geography, history and
mathematics.
Once the student finishes the sixth grade, he starts the secondary
school. Here lies an important difference with Buenos Aires and other
provinces, where the student continues into a seventh grade through ninth
grade, doing what is called there EGB (General Basic Education, in Spanish).
The difference is not only nominal, since in Cordoba the student is supposed to
become a secondary school student when he finishes the sixth grade. In
Córdoba, the first part of the secondary is called CBU (Unified Basic
Cycle, in Spanish). The student is supposed to learn different subjects, at a general level.
Later, when finishing third year of the CBU, the student gets into Ciclo
de Especialización (Specialization
Cycle). At this point the student has many options such as Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Economy
and Management, Production of Goods and Services, Foreign Languages and Art.
Apart from these, there are also technical schools, which give a more
specific formation, but at the same time, affording him the possibility to
enter the university.
Another relevant characteristic of Cordoba in the field of education is
the existence of escuelas municipales (town hall schools). As the
name says, these schools are supported by the town hall of the city. They
appeared some 20 years ago, in response to social needs in the poor suburbs of
the city.
In Cordoba, as it happens in most parts of Argentina, the schools
administrated by religious orders are important. They provide quality
educational services at a cost which is not really too high. One may wonder
nowadays if the government could do without these private schools, to answer
the demand of educational services...
The Mass Media
The word communication has different meanings. For one thing, it means
the possibility to overcome physical distance; on the other hand, it means
transmission of information. In this second sense, it also implies the shaping
of opinion, influence upon the way people think and act. Conversely, the
changes in society have a strong influence upon the life of the mass media
which are sometimes forced to meet political and economical needs.
These general ideas help us explain how the mass media evolved in
Córdoba, and the deep changes they had to undergo in the last two or three years,
partly as a result of our economic and political crisis.
The crisis at the end of 2001, with the devaluation of the peso, the
default, the freezing of bank deposits, put a sharp end to a process which had
started a few years before: a concentration process which meant that
local media, that had been struggling to survive, had to give up.
Talking about television, Channel 8 and Channel 12, which had been
successful private companies for long years, had to give up. They were
purchased by the big media companies of Buenos Aires. A big group, like Clarin,
from Buenos Aires, bought Channel 12 and one of the most traditional newspapers
from inner Argentina: Cordoba’s La
Voz del Interior .
Cable TV inside the provincial territory, in cities and towns of Córdoba,
were also purchased by the big operators.
Channel 10 seems to be the only channel that still remains typically Cordobés.
The Services of Radio and Television (SRT) are controlled by the University of
Córdoba, but at the moment they don’t get any economic support from the
University. They sell advertising space for self-financing.
There are many FM radio stations (too many perhaps), catering for all
tastes. The COMFER, the supervising broadcasting authority often seems to
overlook the excessive amount of stations, what results in falling standards of
quality, due to the overlapping frequencies.
Aside from La
Voz del Interior, an important newspaper is Comercio y Justicia. It was owned by a
private investor, from Brazil, but later it collapsed financially, and it
developed into a cooperative venture, controlled by the workers, an
unusual result... that allowed the newspaper to remain alive.
Art & Literature
For reasons of brevity in our panorama of artistic expressions, besides
literature, we shall be dealing with just two other art forms: music and
painting.
LITERATURE:
In the history of Cordoba literature, which is varied in style, content
and themes, one has to mention Leopoldo Lugones, who was born in a small
city in the north of the province of Córdoba, Villa María del Río Seco in 1874.
He attended Colegio
Nacional del Montserrat. He was famous both for his literary production as well
as for his life and political activism. Socialist in his youth, he represented
a strong opposition to the Establishment. Later, he abandoned that position and
was considered a representative of the right, defender of the first argentine dictatorship,
the one of Uriburu, in 1930. He was
controversial in many senses, and he could be considered the literary father of
a great Argentine writer, Jorge Luis Borges.
Another important writer in Juan Filloy, who was born in Cordoba
in 1894 and died in 2000, at the age of 105. He is considered the creator of
parody in XX century Latin American literature. During a long period he did not
publish his literary production, because he had a position as a judge in Río
Cuarto, Córdoba; he thought that publishing his often controversial ideas might
have interfered with his work at the local courts. When he retired, he resumed
his job as a writer. In his work we find an infinite play of allusive realism,
and permanent irony. Caterva and Los Ochoa are among his best
known novels.
Among contemporary writers in Córdoba we have to mention Lilia
Lardone, who has led well-known literary workshops; María Teresa
Andruetto and Graciela Bialet, who have produced excellent
literature for children.
MUSIC:
In the field of music, an important part of its development and
production depends on state support. The province of Córdoba supports, for
example, Cordoba Symphony Orchestra, the Provincial Choir, the Provincial
Ballet. Outside the field of classical music, the Orquesta de Música
Ciudadana, which deals especially with tango is also supported by the Province
of Córdoba.
The City Town hall supports a prestigious Chord Orchestra (Orquesta de
Cuerdas Municipal), and through the CPC’s (Centros de Participación Comunitaria),
the 14 precincts (areas) of the city offer a wide variety of workshops where
people can learn to sing and play different musical genres and instruments.
Guitar and choral practice are outstanding in this field.
Moving into the field of private activity, there are two Suzuki
orchestras, where many children (and adults as well) learn how to play the
violin and other chord instruments, like cello too... Artists in the field of classical music often get together to form
duos, trios, quartets or quintets... There are plenty of them... and new ones
keep forming all the time.
Getting away form classical music and talking about popular music, we
have to mention a form of music which was born here in Cordoba and which has
definitely become a mass phenomenon, going far beyond the limits of the
province. I am referring to the so called
Música de cuarteto, The name of this genre may be misleading.
Although the original bands that played this kind of music were made of four people
(thus the name cuarteto), the number of players later increased to six,
or even 9... and these bands later became so popular that the original name
referring to an arrangement of four remained in people’s minds, irrespective of
the number of players... This music appeals especially to the economically
postponed strata of society; but nowadays people of all social levels play at
least some of these songs at family parties, at the traditional
15-year-old-girl parties, Christmas parties, or whatever... especially when
people want to dance. To understand this popular phenomenon the best is
listening to one song, or else reading the lyrics. Two respected artists in
this field are Carlos Jiménez (La Mona) and the recently deceased
Rodrigo.
Aside for música de cuarteto, all styles of folk music (folklore
de Córdoba) are widely produced and practiced in Córdoba. Two excellent
representatives of Córdoba folklore music are Duo Antar and Ica Novo.
PAINTING
In this art form, as in many other fields, Córdoba has had a production reaching all Argentina, and
becoming well-known as well in other Latin American countries and also in
Spain.
Within a long list of masters who lived and produced their works of art
here in Cordoba, a special mention is deserved by José Malanca, who
painted memorable landscapes. He was, in this sense, a symbol of the union of
the artist and the land where he grew up and lived.
Coming to the present, there are a few painters who are producing now
great works, like Pedro Pont Vergés who, in the late fifties represented
a position of deep changes both in technique and in subject matter, expressing
a style of inner Argentina. Or Oscar Gubiani (Tutuca), who is now the
Director of the Genaro Pérez Museum. The name of one of his latest collections
“From memory to matter” expresses his line of art: from figurative painting to
deep abstract art...
Antonio Seguí was born in Cordoba (Argentina) in 1934 and studied
art in Buenos Aires, Europe and Mexico. His painting portrays beautifully
detailed city scenes. The lines between the real and the fantastic are blurry
in Segui's artworks. Color and comedy combine in a urban setting and
demonstrate that Antonio Seguí is truly a man of the cities. Segui's work is
represented in various museums and numerous collections. This weekend you can
admire Segui’s works at Caraffa Museum.
Córdoba, June 27, 2003
Osvaldo Carnero
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Bibliography
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