MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile experiencing resurgence of national pride

The old stereotype of Chile as a timid, conformist and morose nation will have to be revised, according to the latest Bicentennial Survey published by UC-Adimark. For the survey, 2,042 people over 18 were asked questions about topics such as national pride, emigration, and religion.

According to the survey, Chileans are happier than ever before, and the country is experiencing a resurgence of national pride. When asked to measure their pride at being Chilean on a scale of 1 to 7, the average response was 6.3. Of those surveyed, 78% feel that they "strongly identify with the country," and 74% consider Chile "the best Latin American country to live in."

Sociologists agree that Chile's new national identity is linked to its recent economic growth, with developments such as the construction of new highways and the expansion of Santiago's metro reflecting this new national attitude.

"The most recent view of our national identity is that of a country that can win, a dynamic country, open to the business world and growing as a result of the greater economic development that began in the 90s," says Jorge Larrain, sociologist and author of "The Chilean Identity."

However, national pride is not necessarily linked to loyalty; 49% of those surveyed said they would emigrate if they were offered the opportunity to live in a country with a better quality of life. This view was especially common among young people.

Sociologist Eugenio Tironi attributed this to the fact that "the new generation is more cosmopolitan and open-minded, both culturally and economically."

When asked about religion, 37% of Catholics and 64% of Evangelicals said they believe in witchcraft, and not all said they believed in life after death. Pedro Morandé, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Catholic University in Chile, said that these figures can be explained by the tendency for Latin American religions to incorporate ideas from older, ancestral religions.

Interestingly, 80% of Catholics surveyed say they want their children to make their own decisions regarding religion. "This explains the strong emphasis that modern society puts on freedom of conscience and of religion," said Morandé. However, he has some doubts as to whether this view is put into practice.

By Cate Setterfield The Santiago Times