La política estudiantil : apuntes para una agenda de investigación

This essay aims at putting forward some critical reflections for the study of what scholars in the field usually call student movements. The essay has two sections. In the first, I reflect on the implications of using the concept “student movements” to define the field of studies, and suggest considering the alternative concept of “student politics”. In the same vein, I recommend considering the dimensions of representation, mobilization and reproduction of the student body. In the second section, I discuss two research areas that could help us to advance our knowledge of the topic: the connections between state, capitalism and universities; and the coupling (or decoupling) of students in three main areas: internally, with other social actors, and with the party system. The main contributions of this essay lie in the proposal of a research agenda, which can help to guide future research, and in tacking stock of the previous literature in a critical (yet not exhaustive) manner, focusing especially in Chile and Latin America.