Social movements, political parties and the processes of change: a theoretical debate in light of the emergence of MAS

Abstract

This research takes place a theoretical analysis of the role that political parties and social movements play during the processes of social and political change and their relations. In this respect the differences in organization, scope of action or ways, allow them to play complementary roles but often antagonistic behavior. In this sense, the experience of the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) in Bolivia is an illustration of the limits and opportunities that social movements and political parties represent, especially noticeable at critical junctures and contexts where formal institutions tend to show resistance to institutional change.