Societalization and Political Polarization: the Collapse of Line 12 of the Mexico City Metro

Abstract

The article analyzes how the collapse of line 12 of the Mexico City metro (L-12) triggered a process of societalization in which political elites were accused of being responsible for the accident, demanding that they assume responsibility. Societalization occurs when an inherent dysfunction of institutions is no longer under political elites' discursive and symbolic control and is colonized by the civil sphere. The process of societalization of the L-12 tragedy was reconstructed by analyzing the political columns of five national newspapers; it is recognized that these may be biased in the interpretations they offer since they start from different interpretation frameworks and moral references. This bias is important because it allows us to observe how interpretations activate the societalization process. The societalization of the L-12 accident did not generate sanctions for those responsible because social polarization in the country prevented the creation of a common standard of civil evaluation. Consequently, it is necessary to explore the weight of civil organizations in the socialization process, as well as of political elites to stop it.