Insular Perspectives of the State: Territorial Policy and Management as Seen From Guaitecas

Abstract

State intervention in island areas often focuses on their shortcomings and limitations, defining them in terms of backwardness. This approach legitimises top-down territorial integration initiatives that disregard the expectations and knowledge of local residents. One consequence of this approach is centre-periphery dynamics increasing gaps in island contexts, reducing its relevance in political, economic, and social terms. The prevalence of state interventions decided from the continent reinforces a sense of distance and difference. In this paper, we propose a definition of islandness based on three interrelated arguments: identity, political, and territorial. From there, we highlight their impact on the political sentiments that develop in these contexts, which are often marked by a sense of territorial identity, dissatisfaction with experiences involving the state, and a struggle to control the local agenda. In a case study of the Guaitecas Archipelago in southern Chile, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 39 local people between September 2021 and October 2022. Respondents shared their characterisations of the state, their expectations in terms of its role, the relationship between the public sector and local politics, and the informal practices that emerge through adaptation of standardised mechanisms devised on the mainland.