Dolarization and Crisis in Argentina

MARIANO D. PERELMAN

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Anthropology

Oxford University Press

Lugar: New York; Año: 2022; p. 1 - 15

For several decades the dollar hasbeen a public problem in Argentina,where a process of dollarization has been developing for some time. Indeed,circulation of the dollar has increased up until the present moment, to thepoint that the dollar is currently considered the best way to build savings andhas a significant influence on daily economic life. This popularization ofNorth American currency has been a lengthy, ongoing process. Throughout theprevious four decades, the relationship between ?dollarization? and economiccrisis has been a major factor. This period of time can be divided intodifferent ?crises?: 1989 was a crisis of hyper-inflation; 2001 was a major debtcrisis; the 2011-2015 crisis grew out of a struggle between the middle classesand the government in response to a ban on buying and accumulating dollars inlarge quantities. As of 2015 we are once again witnessing a social and economiccrisis. Money is a universal measurement of value, encompassing values beyondthe purely economic. In Argentina, the dollar both activates crisis and isactivated by crisis. Quotidian rituals have developed and standardized inconjunction with the popularization of the dollar, making it a central objectof everyday life in Argentina. Indeed, the dollar provides an excellentstarting place for a decently thorough history of contemporary Argentina. Byfocusing on the relationships and practices that have developed around thedollar, one can begin to understand how flesh and blood people have worked tobuild dignified lives and ways of living in relationship to one another. Thedollar, both as a form of currency and in its demonetarized form, articulates aseries of imaginaries about what about what a life worth living is. The dollarhas catalyzed national models and projects. The dollar is a part of the dailyexperience of large portions of the population. And, when uncertainty grows,the dollar stabilizes.@font-face{font-family:Helvetica;panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:auto;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-536870145 1342208091 0 0 415 0;}@font-face{font-family:"Cambria Math";panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:roman;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal{mso-style-unhide:no;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";margin:0cm;mso-pagination:none;font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}.MsoChpDefault{mso-style-type:export-only;mso-default-props:yes;font-size:14.0pt;mso-ansi-font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;mso-ascii-font-family:Helvetica;mso-hansi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}.MsoPapDefault{mso-style-type:export-only;mso-pagination:none;}div.WordSection1{page:WordSection1;}<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face{font-family:"Cambria Math";panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:roman;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal{mso-style-unhide:no;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault{mso-style-type:export-only;mso-default-props:yes;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:ES-TRAD;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}@page WordSection1{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;margin:70.85pt 3.0cm 70.85pt 3.0cm;mso-header-margin:36.0pt;mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;mso-paper-source:0;}div.WordSection1{page:WordSection1;}-->@font-face { font-family: "Cambria Math";}@font-face { font-family: Calibri;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; }span.MsoEndnoteReference { vertical-align: super; }p.MsoEndnoteText, li.MsoEndnoteText, div.MsoEndnoteText { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; }a:link, span.MsoHyperlink { color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: underline; }a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { color: rgb(149, 79, 114); text-decoration: underline; }p { margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; }span.shorttext { }span.TextonotaalfinalCar { font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; }.MsoChpDefault { font-family: "Calibri", sans-serif; }div.WordSection1 { }