Ángel Rama and the role of the intellectual in shaping culture

Abstract

This article discusses how Ángel Rama, from the 1970s to the 1980s, changed his understanding of the role and mission of intellectuals in Latin America. This change reveals the contrasts between the claims that the intellectual is primarily responsible for the regeneration and revitalization of the cultural space of society and the articulation of knowledge with power to strengthen and reproduce forms of domination. Discussing these issues and placing in dialogue the ouvres Writing across cultures: narrative transculturation in Latin America and The Lettered city is analyzed how the intellectual's performance goes from positive to negative. To situate this movement, are consider both external elements, such as exile and intellectual experiences, as well as internal elements, references and dialogues that Rama mobilizes in his texts.