(Empirical problems of the narcoculture as concept for the analysis of violence, consumption, and corruption in Colombia)

Abstract

Along with the boom of series, music, and literature about drug trafficking in Colombia, the notion of narcoculture has been popularized. This concept stems from affirming the existence of different values, that come from drug trafficking, that work as a base of distinct social problems, as violence and corruption, inside this country. In contrast, the main objective of this article is to perform a critical review of this concept, mainly developed by Omar Rincón, as a tool to study the Colombian social reality. For this, this article aims the hypothesis that this concept has no empirical and theoretical bases that put on doubt its applicability and utility. To assess this hypothesis, it is utilized a qualitative approach that is grounded on literature about drug trafficking (sociological and historical aspects of this phenomenon in Colombia), violence in Colombia, and consumerism. As a result of this research, it demonstrates that the use of the drug trafficking culture results to be problematic. The above by not considering that many of the features that are proposed as characteristic of a narco culture do not obey the expansion of the model of drug traffickers that is shown through movies and series; On the contrary, these features are more related to the context of violence and inequality existing in Colombia and to the consumption practices that obey the capitalist system as such.