Social Sciences in Chile (1957-1973). A laboratory for an autonomous process of academic-building

BEIGEL, FERNANDA

Academic Dependency in the Social Sciences: Structural Reality and Intellectual Challenges,

SAGE

Lugar: Nueva Delhi; Año: 2010; p. 183 - 212

Chilean state gradually acquired a more predominant role in the direction of the economic, social and cultural development –particularly since 1954 in fostering higher education and scientific research. This sustained public policy enabled the university system to reinforce institutional autonomy, modernizing academic structures and proceedures. Both the governments of the Christian Democracy and that of the Popular Unity “let universities do”, on the grounds that they were autonomous and had to solve its own problems internally. They did not interfere the reforming processes, although they encouraged their own partisans to fill positions within the new distribution of university power. Far from co-opting intellectuals, the state financed the social sciences and the creation of a militant criticism directed against the very bases of the transforming projects of the progressive governments of the region. The fact that part of this academic elite was composed of foreign scientists –majorily coming from South American military coups, favoured an independent intellectual activism –rather then concentrated into political parties.