Personalismo

Personalismo is a term in Spanish made of the word persona (person) and the suffix ismo (ism) [Page 2523]to denote an action or practice. Personalismo has been described as a cultural value or norm among some Latinos/Latinas or Hispanics in the United States and elsewhere. It should not be confused with personalismo in Latin American politics (the enshrining of a single leader such as in caudillismo or strongpersonship) or philosophy (Jacques Maritain and Emmanuel Mounier), though it shares with the latter a relational, empathic emphasis. Personalismo here refers to an overall cultural stress on relationships that, though not necessarily informal, are warm and personal rather than cold or impersonal. In fact, relationships born out of personalismo are characterized by other cultural values and norms such ...