Dear readers of Utopías. Segunda época

Abstract

We present this second issue of the journal and hope that your articles may contribute to reflection, questioning, exchange, and disagreement on the topics addressed, thus contributing to the dynamic growth of the complex field of the social and human sciences. Furthermore, and taking into account the journal's intended purpose, we are particularly interested in articles that contribute to imagining possible paths to building a more livable society for all.

From the outset, we thank those who sent us their writings, which are now part of this booklet. Writing in these "troubled times" is no easy task; it requires taking a break from the maelstrom to capture the ideas to be communicated on paper, knowing that "the turbulent" is not a backdrop but a material condition that runs through us—and those of us who live in national universities can attest to this, given the particular onslaught, as is the case with science and technology. Therefore, what is produced is not unrelated to this state of affairs.

Furthermore, those who served as blind reviewers of the articles also deserve special recognition. Their careful reading, pertinent comments, and suggestions reflect the seriousness and generosity with which they took on the task, without financial compensation, in a context of increasing commodification of various social relations. Adding to this distinction is the positive assessment that many of the authors have expressed regarding the comments received. This exchange makes the journal's management process friendly, and as an editorial team, we are interested in ensuring that the act of writing—and of reviewing—is healthy and rewarding.

In the research section

Marcos Iazzetta shares his study on the problem of gender-based violence, focusing on some of the institutional tools the Argentine government has created to address it. Among them, he focuses on the National Agency of Controlled Materials, whose mission is to implement the control of firearms, ammunition, explosives, and other materials and develop public policies to address armed violence. In his analysis, he explores international regulations regarding gender-based firearms violence and various statistical records that identify and assess this problem in our country. The article provides insight into the problem, although we currently face an administration that ignores the seriousness of the phenomenon and dismantles existing programs and projects that provided some response.

The relationship between neoliberal rationality and the construction of subjectivity among residents of working-class neighborhoods constitutes the focus of this research project, which, within its framework and fundamentally in its empirical tension, highlighted the need to incorporate the category of gender as an analytical key. From this perspective, the article by Carina Messina and her team unfolds reflections that articulate neoliberalism, colonialism, and patriarchy as coordinates from which situated experiences of popular politics are analyzed, giving rise to various topics that are explored in depth.
Nicolás Lobos connects us with an unresolved debate in the disciplinary field of social work: the relationship, which he calls dichotomous, between theory and practice. He argues that this dichotomy is false and attempts to decipher what is required of this articulation. From this perspective, it analyzes some of the theoretical proposals circulating in the professional field and focuses its analysis on the way in which these contribute to social intervention processes, the latter category on which it provides a conceptual approach.

César Sione's research team addresses the issue of digital platform workers and provides a statistical profile of those employed by delivery companies in the city of Paraná. This type of work, increasingly widespread across the globe, reflects some of the changes the world of work has undergone and its manifestations in terms of flexibility, precariousness, and the devastation of labor rights.

Essays section

In his writing, Ignacio Adanero focuses on the electoral political context, the emergence of Milei's right wing, and analyzes the echoes that this irruption has in Juntos por el Cambio. He converses with those who diagnose a Cambiemita crisis, a term proposed by Montero (2018), and conjectures that it corresponds to the complex mortar from which its identity was composed. He maintains that its future is linked to the different discursive articulations that manage to construct hegemonic representations.

Experiences

In this section, we share the experiences of social work professionals Facundo Zamarreño and Sofía Fabello, who work at the Provincial Energy Company (EPE) and the Home Care Department of the municipality of Rosario. The inter-institutional and intersectoral work carried out in addressing electro-dependent patients within the framework of a human rights approach is highlighted.
Jésica Suárez Losavio shares her first-person reflections from a psychological perspective, expressing her feelings and emotions triggered by the process of constructing her research object for her Master's thesis in Mental Health. Mental health, chronic illness, and disability produce mobilizations that she shares in an autoethnographic effort, enabling her to analyze hegemonic discourses and practices in addressing these issues. From the undergraduate program in social work at the National University of Santiago del Estero, Erika Albornoz and Celeste Schnyder, professors of the Bachelor's Integration Seminar and Final Project, share their reflections on research practice in the field. Based on the research projects defined by the students, an agenda of topics is created that highlights specificities and concerns related to questions addressed in the classroom.

Interview Section

We share the conversation Dr. Diego Gantus had with sociologist Dr. Ana Castellani. Her consolidated career in the academic field took a turn when she was called to participate in the administration of the previous national government. She took on this challenge full-time, committed to using her knowledge and theoretical tools to test and leverage them in the realm of state administration. Ana candidly elaborates on this professional experience. The conversation, free from pretense, takes us behind the scenes into the daily work of conflicts, negotiations, interests, and projects. Shortly afterward, the pandemic substantially modified her initial objectives, giving rise to rethinking and innovative proposals to address the urgent needs of the situation. Having completed her term in office, she reaffirms the key importance of implementing a system for planning, monitoring, and evaluating public policy.
Finally, as an Editorial Team, we would like to remember our beloved Cristina Díaz, who recently left us. She actively participated in the founding process of our institution's Bachelor's program in Political Science and Master's program in Public Policy Evaluation. We invite Gastón Mutti and Pablo Barberis, political scientists and professors at our school, to share a few words in her memory. Our deepest affection and gratitude are in her memory.