Inhabiting Two Places at the Same Time: Layers of Isolation in Chiloé, Southern Chile

Much has been said about the recent socioeconomic transformations in the Chiloé archipelago in southern Chile, with particular focus on the ongoing neoliberal industrialization. Chiloé is often perceived as a homogeneous territory, perhaps due to its island geography, even though there is acknowledgement of the uneven impact that neoliberalism has had across the region. Life in the more remote and rural areas of the archipelago has evolved differently compared to the Isla Grande of Chiloé, where towns are expanding, and an urban consumer culture has emerged. This paper draws on extensive ethnographic research conducted in two distinct areas of Chiloé to illustrate these differentiated processes of social and cultural change. We suggest that the various processes that have swept across Chiloé in recent decades are embedded in the archipelago’s geography, with barriers and borders between spaces influencing how change is experienced and perceived by Chilotes. This prompts us to consider how different ‘layers of isolation’ impact the archipelago and shape the inventive ways through which Chilotes engage with tradition and modernity.