ABSTRACT

In the form of a sociological pilgrimage, this book approaches some topics essential to understanding the role of science in Latin America, juxtaposing several approaches and exploring three main lines: First, the production and use of knowledge in these countries, viewed from a historical and sociological point of view; second, the reciprocal construction of scientific and public problems, presented through significant cases such as Latin American Chagas Disease; and third, the past and present asymmetries affecting the relationships between centers and peripheries in scientific research. These topics show the paradox of being at the same time "modern" and "peripheral."

chapter 2|35 pages

Studying Scientific Development from Latin America

Problems of Definition, Levels of Analysis, and Concepts

chapter 3|25 pages

Social and Scientific Problems—A View from the History of Science

Chagas Disease as a Model (Part 1)

chapter 4|21 pages

Three Theoretical Divertimentos

Chagas Disease as a Model (Part 2)

chapter 5|45 pages

Rowing Against the Tide? New Research Fields in Peripheral Contexts

Molecular Biology From the Pioneers to the New Genomics (1957–2017)

chapter 6|21 pages

Controversies on the Periphery

To Treat or Not to Treat (Chronic Chagas Disease Patients)?

chapter 7|21 pages

Centers and Peripheries Revisited—Internationalization of Latin American Science

From “Bricoleur” Scientists to the International Division of Scientific Work

chapter 8|36 pages

Globalization or Neo-Imperialism?

Latin American Science in the Era of Globalization

chapter 9|43 pages

International Scientific Collaborations at the End of the World

Local Resources and Global Research in Tierra del Fuego