From the Social to the Global Turn in Latin American History of Science

Abstract

This chapter examines the work done in Latin American history of science during the past few decades. A social turn that could be traced to the 1970s sought to understand how science and modern scientific disciplines emerged. Studies assumed their origins to be mainly European or North American and concentrated on how science took roots in Latin America’s culture, society, and politics. The focus was on Latin American nations as self-sufficient entities and a criticism of Eurocentric approaches, and the key concepts of reception, adaptation, and negotiation were used. This turn was challenged toward the turn of the twenty-first century in a global turn, when novel investigations emphasized transnational connections and circulation of knowledge. The global turn questioned studies limited to what occurred in Latin American countries and examined intermediaries who established links not only with the Global North but also with Asia and Africa. As a result, new research defied the traditional notions of an exclusive European and North American origin of modern science as well as a subordinate Latin America in the scientific world. And even tested the usefulness of focusing on the uniqueness of the region in future investigations.