Political Othering among Peruvian Elites

- by invitation only -

Over the last decade, Peruvian politics has increasingly been marked by class-based polarisation, most notably in the contrasting patterns of support for right- and left-wing candidates across affluent urban areas and poorer rural regions. This political landscape has been accompanied by heated and emotionally charged debates, often involving derogatory representations of both elites and impoverished groups with classed and racialised connotations. Against this backdrop, this presentation outlines my ongoing research on the political positioning of Peruvian elites. Based on interviews with economic and cultural elites to be conducted in early 2027, the project examines their boundary-making practices, representations of marginalised sectors, and the emotional dimensions underpinning these perceptions. It explores how elites position themselves politically through these practices and contributes to broader debates on elite politics and class formation in the Global South.

Mauricio Rentería is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Inequality, Transformation and Conflict. His research examines inequalities, with a particular focus on class relations, racialised dynamics, and elite formation. His doctoral research explored the racialised imprints of social mobility among Lima’s elites, resulting in publications in leading journals. His current research investigates the political positioning of Peruvian elites and their practices of social boundary-making.

Before joining the Institute, Mauricio was a researcher at the Institute of Peruvian Studies (Peru), where he published books and articles on various forms of inequality in contemporary Peru. He completed his undergraduate studies in Sociology at the National University of San Marcos (Peru), obtained an MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science (UK), and received his PhD in Sociology from the University of Manchester (UK).

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For more information please contact jie.kang@ips.mpg.de.