Critical Code Switching: Effects on Democratization in El Salvador
Critical Code Switching: The Effects of
Democratization in El Salvador
Dean Search
Dr. Hilary Parsons Dick
Conflict and Inequality in Latin America
29 April 2013
Critical code switching was the main focus of Ellen Moodie’s composition of El Salvador in the Aftermath of Peace: Crime, Uncertainty and the Transition to Democracy. This term surfaced after a peace agreement ended the civil war in El Salvador in 1992. When a civil war ends there is the common belief that all violence ends. However, this was not the case in El Salvador and violence continued after peace was supposedly established. In order to diverge the attention of continued violence within its country, El Salvador’s government sought to “re-label” the violence that was still present in its war-ridden country. Essentially, the violent crimes were still happening but the government labeled them as random crime, not political crime (Moodie 2010: 55). The distinction between the two is described as political violence being a grievance against the government due to the violation of human rights, whereas random crime is not an expression of grievance but rather the individual doing wrong (Hilary Parsons Dick, Personal Communication, February 12, 2013). The El Salvadoran government coded the crime as random because they wanted to establish a sense of order and normalcy so they could begin to rebuild their country into a democracy (Moodie 2010: 55).
The transition from authoritarian rule to a democracy in El Salvador is known as the process of democratization. This process entails the establishment of free market economics and the assembly of political figures that promote democracy with an optimistic connotation. A democracy is a government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people (Paley 2001: 6). Furthermore, it creates an image of social and political stability while promoting economic development (Hilary Parsons Dick, Personal
Democratization in El Salvador
Dean Search
Dr. Hilary Parsons Dick
Conflict and Inequality in Latin America
29 April 2013
Critical code switching was the main focus of Ellen Moodie’s composition of El Salvador in the Aftermath of Peace: Crime, Uncertainty and the Transition to Democracy. This term surfaced after a peace agreement ended the civil war in El Salvador in 1992. When a civil war ends there is the common belief that all violence ends. However, this was not the case in El Salvador and violence continued after peace was supposedly established. In order to diverge the attention of continued violence within its country, El Salvador’s government sought to “re-label” the violence that was still present in its war-ridden country. Essentially, the violent crimes were still happening but the government labeled them as random crime, not political crime (Moodie 2010: 55). The distinction between the two is described as political violence being a grievance against the government due to the violation of human rights, whereas random crime is not an expression of grievance but rather the individual doing wrong (Hilary Parsons Dick, Personal Communication, February 12, 2013). The El Salvadoran government coded the crime as random because they wanted to establish a sense of order and normalcy so they could begin to rebuild their country into a democracy (Moodie 2010: 55).
The transition from authoritarian rule to a democracy in El Salvador is known as the process of democratization. This process entails the establishment of free market economics and the assembly of political figures that promote democracy with an optimistic connotation. A democracy is a government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people (Paley 2001: 6). Furthermore, it creates an image of social and political stability while promoting economic development (Hilary Parsons Dick, Personal
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