State, development and print culture in Enciclopedia Chilena and Quimantú (1948-1973): between the legislator reader and the popular reader

Abstract

The Enciclopedia Chilena and Quimantú were two projects that articulated State and printed culture in Chile between 1948 and 1973. The consideration of the relationship between both projects, and the oblivion surrounding the encyclopedia, invites us to rethink the role of the State as a cultural agent in the field of print culture. While the Enciclopedia Chilena conceives a legislator reader who will be able to make better decisions to exploit the country’s resources, Quimantú seeks to form the popular reader for a socialist society and model of production. Both projects, we will see, propose development narratives that test the possible contribution of print to the configuration of the national.