Marcos Perez Cited for his Book ‘¿Qué tienen los piqueteros en la cabeza?’ The associate professor of sociology received an honorable mention citation for the Premio Iberoamericano Book Award.

By Brian Laubscher
June 16, 2025

Marcos Perez, associate professor of sociology at Washington and Lee University, received an honorable mention citation for the 2025 Premio Iberoamericano Book Award presented by the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) at its annual congress held May 23-26 in San Francisco.

The award, which has been presented annually since 1992, recognizes outstanding books on Latin America in the social sciences and humanities published in Spanish or Portuguese in any country. Books are judged based on quality of research, analysis and writing and the significance of their contribution to Latin American studies.

Bethsabé Huamán Andía of St. Catherine University claimed the top prize in 2025 for her book “Hijas del horror: Rocío Silva Santisteban y Regina José Galindo. Mujer, testimonio y violencia en la poesía y la performance.”

Perez was the only author to receive honorable mention honors, collecting the distinction for his book “¿Qué tienen los piqueteros en la cabeza?,” which was published by Siglo XXI Editores in May 2024.

The book challenges common assumptions about Argentina’s unemployed protesters, revealing that most join their organizations out of economic necessity rather than political manipulation. Based on grassroots research into activists’ daily lives, Perez found that participants use their involvement to recreate the structure and dignity of traditional factory work lost to deindustrialization. The 264-page study argues that vulnerable populations facing economic uncertainty don’t necessarily embrace reactionary politics, instead they find ways to maintain respectability and purpose through organized activism that demands sacrifice and effort.

“Being recognized with an honorable mention in this book competition is not only a nice personal accomplishment, but, most importantly, it shows that some of the arguments I make in the book resonate with discussions happening throughout the social sciences and humanities,” Perez said. “One of the main strengths of LASA is it is remarkable interdisciplinarity, and having colleagues from different fields recognize my work is very encouraging.”

Perez has been a member of the W&L faculty since 2018. In addition to teaching in the Sociology and Anthropology Department, he is also a core member of the Shepherd Program and an affiliate member with the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and government from Torcuato Di Tella University (Argentina), as well as a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin.

With over 13,000 members, LASA is the largest professional association in the world for individuals and institutions engaged in the study of Latin America. The organization strives to foster intellectual discussion, research and teaching on Latin America, the Caribbean and its people throughout the Americas, promote the interests of its diverse membership and encourage civic engagement through network building and public debate.

If you know a W&L faculty member who has done great, accolade-worthy things, tell us about them! Nominate them for an accolade.