This article intends to make clear the significance of social movements in the building of a real democratic society and State in Latin America. In the first part, a brief critical review of the thought of Hegel, Marx, Lenin and Gramsci, about the relation between the civil society and the State, allows us to identify where the movements are within the social dynamics. In the second part, it is shown as the Latin-American social movements work up the subordinate social segments'identity in order to have them free to demand their democratic representation related to their interests before the State and political parties.
social movements; democracy; civil society; State; Latin America; social identity; social conflict; social class; political organization