Unity and exclusion: The Pro-Purge Movement at the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, 1937

Abstract

Abstract: This article analyzes an episode of political and ideological conflicts between supporters and detractors of the socialist school in the Universidad Michoacana in 1937. The purging movement that took place in the Colegio de San Nicolás, which initially sought to expel Catholic students, resulted in the stigmatization of all those who did not show firm support for the official educational policy. The objective of this article is to inquire into the character of this ideological confrontation in which some sectors adopted radical stances and where laicity was interpreted as an anticonfessional policy. Furthermore, we aim to show the presence and strength of some religious organizations which brought together university students.