The social sciences in Latin America: the neoliberal deluge at the end of century

Abstract

The author considers the deep transformations suffered by Latin American social sciences after the changes occurred in world economy, which in turn gave way to the establishment of neoliberal regimes; and analyses the crisis of alternative projects of development and social change, which favored the growth of defeatist and conformist views in intellectual and academic groups previously engaged to the option of a radical transformation of our societies. She proposes a critique of neoliberal regimes based in their weaknesses, false promises of growth and in their failure to acquire a more equitative insertion of our economies in world system; and argues in favour of the establishment of some principles that can allow the restructuring of social sciences through options of democratic change and dignification of collective life in Latin America.