Religion and sense of Social Justice. The Mexican Students Corporation

Abstract

Catholic students groups in México have been recognized as conservatives because of their intensive work as activists for the defence of religious values. This is the main way they were active during the first decades of the twentieth century. Nevertheless, the Mexican Students Corporation founded in 1947 made a distinction for some of these young people, mainly from the Universidad Nacional because of the activities they made. As we can see, there is a transition that runs alongside the changes on society during those years signed by the cold war and the important fights for civil rights. This implied a change on the Mexican Students Corporation during the early sixties, who were developing more social, civic and political activities. This work explores the historical context and conditions that made the emergence of other expressions possible not from the organization itself but parallel to it. A transition is observed which goes from charity to the claim of social justice that promoted social empowerment.