Windows of opportunity in Biotechnology? Or… back to the periphery? Dynamics of R&D in Argentina and Brazil: the case of cloning of mammals (1990-2005)

MARIANO FRESSOLI; HERNÁN THOMAS

Washington D.C.

Congreso; 4S Congress, STS New Beginnings: Five Sessions with a Latin American Emphasis; 2009

Society for Social Studies of Science

The conditions of R&D in Latin America has been traditionally depicted as peripheral, backwardness and subordinated to the political and scientific agendas in developed countries. The theoretical and empirical analysis of these conditions of development in science and technology has a long tradition is STS field in Latin America. It gained strength during the sixties and seventies through the work of authors such as Sabato, Varsavsky, Herrera among others. And, until now constitutes one of the key issues for the analysis of science and technology development in the region. But, what does it mean when we say that RD is subordinated? How this subordination and pheriphery is build up? Moreover, it is possible to consider this dynamic center-periphery as stable and unchanged?