Philipp Altmann | Universidad Central del Ecuador (UCE) (original) (raw)

Uploads

Papers by Philipp Altmann

Tapuya: Latin American Science, Technology And Society, Aug 30, 2023

Professional sociology in Ecuador started with the first chair in sociology in 1915. This led to ... more Professional sociology in Ecuador started with the first chair in sociology in 1915. This led to a series of foundational texts during the 1920s and 30s that sought to define what sociology is while applying it to core aspects of Ecuadorian society. While this time was – in the Global North- marked by a growing centralization on the theories of Durkheim and Weber, the Ecuadorian sociologists preferred other thinkers in order to understand society. The result was a mixture of different theories that were not always clearly articulated but did sustain the first relatively coherent sociological readings of Ecuadorian society. This text will shed light on how the first professional sociology in Ecuador used the classics of sociology in a particular way to build local sociology. The focus will be on the four most relevant sociological thinkers of the first half of the twentieth century, Agustín Cueva Sáenz, Ángel Modesto Paredes, Víctor Gabriel Garcés, and Luis Bossano. They worked with Tarde, Worms, Durkheim, and some German, US-American, and Latin American authors. The creation of the first School for Sociology in the 1960s meant a break from this tradition that has not been reflected adequately until today.

Latin American research review, Mar 20, 2024

Revue D'histoire Des Sciences Humaines, Jul 6, 2023

Revista Sarance, Dec 12, 2022

International Sociology, Feb 28, 2019

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) refers to a set of technologies that allow for the separation of... more Carbon capture and storage (CCS) refers to a set of technologies that allow for the separation of CO2 from different substances and its subsequent storage, generally in different types of geological formations. It is part of the ‘end-of-pipe’ solutions, which means that it can be added to already existing infrastructures without major changes, such as oil and gas exploitation, where it has been used for some time with success, in power or production plants of many kinds. In short, CCS-technologies allow for a reduction of emissions of CO2 – they are stored instead of emitted. This makes them of interest in the United Nations climate regime of the last few years. However, CCS-technologies – with the exception of enhanced oil/gas recovery – are expansive and depend on support from the state or public–private partnerships. CCS-technologies received wide attention after the signing of Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change (1997), which went into effect in 2005, and its instruments to reduce CO2 emissions. An important element of the Kyoto Protocol are the tradable certified emission reduction units (CERs), which are based on national emissions in 1990 and can be created via certain instruments and bought or sold as necessary. Thus, if a national economy produces more emissions now than it did in 1990, it will have to create or buy CERs. CERs can be created via a clean development mechanism (CDM), a flexible mechanism of environmental protection, that is put into practice in countries in the Global South (non-Annex-B countries). The integration of CCS-technologies into the CDM was highly controversial and was discussed at the Conference of Parties (COP) at the UN Climate Change Conference (UNCCC) from COP 13 (in 2007) through COP 15 (in 2009). These discussions led to an integration in 2010. This discussion drew on a 831637 ISS0010.1177/0268580919831637International Sociology ReviewsReviews: Environmental sociology review-article2019

Routledge eBooks, Jun 19, 2023

Springer International Publishing eBooks, 2022

Springer International Publishing eBooks, 2022

Quito, EC: Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, Sede Ecuador; Ediciones La Tierra, 2018

Der Kampf der Organisationen der Indigenenbewegung in Ecuador seit den 1980ern war nicht nur ein ... more Der Kampf der Organisationen der Indigenenbewegung in Ecuador seit den 1980ern war nicht nur ein Kampf für gleiche wirtschaftliche, politische oder kulturelle Rechte, sondern auch einer für einen Wiederaufbau der ecuadorianischen Gesellschaft und des ecuadorianischen Staates. Dieser Wiederaufbau soll an bestimmten Begriffen, wie Interkulturalität und Plurinationalität, entlang erfolgen. Auch wenn diese Begriffe in der Verfassung von 2008 übernommen wurden, müssen sie, aus Sicht der Indigenenbewegung, erst noch umgesetzt werden. Der vorliegende Text ist eine Analyse der Entwicklung sowohl der Indigenenbewegung, als auch ihrer Begriffe mit einem Schwerpunkt auf die Beziehungen zwischen den verschiedenen Organisationen und Begriffen.

Global Intellectual History

Between 1990 and early 2000—as well as to a lesser extent today—the indigenous movement in Ecuado... more Between 1990 and early 2000—as well as to a lesser extent today—the indigenous movement in Ecuador was without a doubt the strongest social and political actor in the country and one of the strongest of the continent; able not only to undermine two presidents and press for a new constitution (in 1998), but also to profoundly change discourse and thinking in that society. This strength was made possible due to a decade-long organizational fight on local and regional levels, the establishment of small-scale institutions, and the slow development of a coherent and innovative discourse. Even if the main actors were always indigenous persons, international development agencies—state-funded, church-based or NGOs—had decisive influence in this process. In fact, the history of the indigenous movement in Ecuador is also a history of inclusion and expulsion of external agents such as the international development agencies, containing both moments of almost sectarian seclusion and wide and open treaties involving those agencies. This paper will explore how international development agencies influence the organizational and discursive development of the indigenous movement in Ecuador and its organizations. On a structural level, the support for the establishment of indigenous institutions—in education, traditional medicine and development—and the engagement in internal organizational processes will be analyzed. Here, the text will focus on concrete actors and their relationship with concrete organizations, the success of their efforts and the general strategy visible behind given actions. On a discursive level, the support of certain political tendencies within the movement—specifically, those more ethnicist and less socialist—will be interpreted as well as their influence on the diffusion of determinate demands and political concepts. The focus, here, will be on the diffusion of demands for autonomy and concepts such as interculturality and Good Life (Buen Vivir).

The production of scientific knowledge is organized around a series of transnationally relevant t... more The production of scientific knowledge is organized around a series of transnationally relevant theories. Neglect or ignorance of those theories generally leads to a rejection of the correspondent studies by fellow scientists. The production of transnationally relevant theories happens mainly in the Global North and is influenced heavily by the institutional frameworks and the academic culture there. The process of transnationalization of a given theory is therefore an act of globalization of one specific locality – the theory on power by Max Weber carries in it German values and ideals of the early 20th century. Transnationalized theories are not simply accepted in other countries, but go through a process of localization by the agents and institutions there. They are translated into the local culture and the local academic sphere. The values in Weber’s theory are connected to local values and by this, the theory as such is resignified. This text will study the process of localization of transnational theories in social sciences in the Ecuadorian university. Social sciences in Ecuador have a history as academic discipline since the 1960s and are marked by several breaks considering the use of theory. The argument here will be that the localization of transnational theories happens in part in the form of buzzword-like categories, such as “North American sociology” or “positivism” and in part via subsummation under already existing theories and non-theoretic values. The result was –at least for a certain time– a contradictory and rebellious re-creation of theory that is the base for nowadays theory-building in Ecuador.

Tapuya: Latin American Science, Technology And Society, Aug 30, 2023

Professional sociology in Ecuador started with the first chair in sociology in 1915. This led to ... more Professional sociology in Ecuador started with the first chair in sociology in 1915. This led to a series of foundational texts during the 1920s and 30s that sought to define what sociology is while applying it to core aspects of Ecuadorian society. While this time was – in the Global North- marked by a growing centralization on the theories of Durkheim and Weber, the Ecuadorian sociologists preferred other thinkers in order to understand society. The result was a mixture of different theories that were not always clearly articulated but did sustain the first relatively coherent sociological readings of Ecuadorian society. This text will shed light on how the first professional sociology in Ecuador used the classics of sociology in a particular way to build local sociology. The focus will be on the four most relevant sociological thinkers of the first half of the twentieth century, Agustín Cueva Sáenz, Ángel Modesto Paredes, Víctor Gabriel Garcés, and Luis Bossano. They worked with Tarde, Worms, Durkheim, and some German, US-American, and Latin American authors. The creation of the first School for Sociology in the 1960s meant a break from this tradition that has not been reflected adequately until today.

Latin American research review, Mar 20, 2024

Revue D'histoire Des Sciences Humaines, Jul 6, 2023

Revista Sarance, Dec 12, 2022

International Sociology, Feb 28, 2019

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) refers to a set of technologies that allow for the separation of... more Carbon capture and storage (CCS) refers to a set of technologies that allow for the separation of CO2 from different substances and its subsequent storage, generally in different types of geological formations. It is part of the ‘end-of-pipe’ solutions, which means that it can be added to already existing infrastructures without major changes, such as oil and gas exploitation, where it has been used for some time with success, in power or production plants of many kinds. In short, CCS-technologies allow for a reduction of emissions of CO2 – they are stored instead of emitted. This makes them of interest in the United Nations climate regime of the last few years. However, CCS-technologies – with the exception of enhanced oil/gas recovery – are expansive and depend on support from the state or public–private partnerships. CCS-technologies received wide attention after the signing of Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change (1997), which went into effect in 2005, and its instruments to reduce CO2 emissions. An important element of the Kyoto Protocol are the tradable certified emission reduction units (CERs), which are based on national emissions in 1990 and can be created via certain instruments and bought or sold as necessary. Thus, if a national economy produces more emissions now than it did in 1990, it will have to create or buy CERs. CERs can be created via a clean development mechanism (CDM), a flexible mechanism of environmental protection, that is put into practice in countries in the Global South (non-Annex-B countries). The integration of CCS-technologies into the CDM was highly controversial and was discussed at the Conference of Parties (COP) at the UN Climate Change Conference (UNCCC) from COP 13 (in 2007) through COP 15 (in 2009). These discussions led to an integration in 2010. This discussion drew on a 831637 ISS0010.1177/0268580919831637International Sociology ReviewsReviews: Environmental sociology review-article2019

Routledge eBooks, Jun 19, 2023

Springer International Publishing eBooks, 2022

Springer International Publishing eBooks, 2022

Quito, EC: Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, Sede Ecuador; Ediciones La Tierra, 2018

Der Kampf der Organisationen der Indigenenbewegung in Ecuador seit den 1980ern war nicht nur ein ... more Der Kampf der Organisationen der Indigenenbewegung in Ecuador seit den 1980ern war nicht nur ein Kampf für gleiche wirtschaftliche, politische oder kulturelle Rechte, sondern auch einer für einen Wiederaufbau der ecuadorianischen Gesellschaft und des ecuadorianischen Staates. Dieser Wiederaufbau soll an bestimmten Begriffen, wie Interkulturalität und Plurinationalität, entlang erfolgen. Auch wenn diese Begriffe in der Verfassung von 2008 übernommen wurden, müssen sie, aus Sicht der Indigenenbewegung, erst noch umgesetzt werden. Der vorliegende Text ist eine Analyse der Entwicklung sowohl der Indigenenbewegung, als auch ihrer Begriffe mit einem Schwerpunkt auf die Beziehungen zwischen den verschiedenen Organisationen und Begriffen.

Global Intellectual History

Between 1990 and early 2000—as well as to a lesser extent today—the indigenous movement in Ecuado... more Between 1990 and early 2000—as well as to a lesser extent today—the indigenous movement in Ecuador was without a doubt the strongest social and political actor in the country and one of the strongest of the continent; able not only to undermine two presidents and press for a new constitution (in 1998), but also to profoundly change discourse and thinking in that society. This strength was made possible due to a decade-long organizational fight on local and regional levels, the establishment of small-scale institutions, and the slow development of a coherent and innovative discourse. Even if the main actors were always indigenous persons, international development agencies—state-funded, church-based or NGOs—had decisive influence in this process. In fact, the history of the indigenous movement in Ecuador is also a history of inclusion and expulsion of external agents such as the international development agencies, containing both moments of almost sectarian seclusion and wide and open treaties involving those agencies. This paper will explore how international development agencies influence the organizational and discursive development of the indigenous movement in Ecuador and its organizations. On a structural level, the support for the establishment of indigenous institutions—in education, traditional medicine and development—and the engagement in internal organizational processes will be analyzed. Here, the text will focus on concrete actors and their relationship with concrete organizations, the success of their efforts and the general strategy visible behind given actions. On a discursive level, the support of certain political tendencies within the movement—specifically, those more ethnicist and less socialist—will be interpreted as well as their influence on the diffusion of determinate demands and political concepts. The focus, here, will be on the diffusion of demands for autonomy and concepts such as interculturality and Good Life (Buen Vivir).

The production of scientific knowledge is organized around a series of transnationally relevant t... more The production of scientific knowledge is organized around a series of transnationally relevant theories. Neglect or ignorance of those theories generally leads to a rejection of the correspondent studies by fellow scientists. The production of transnationally relevant theories happens mainly in the Global North and is influenced heavily by the institutional frameworks and the academic culture there. The process of transnationalization of a given theory is therefore an act of globalization of one specific locality – the theory on power by Max Weber carries in it German values and ideals of the early 20th century. Transnationalized theories are not simply accepted in other countries, but go through a process of localization by the agents and institutions there. They are translated into the local culture and the local academic sphere. The values in Weber’s theory are connected to local values and by this, the theory as such is resignified. This text will study the process of localization of transnational theories in social sciences in the Ecuadorian university. Social sciences in Ecuador have a history as academic discipline since the 1960s and are marked by several breaks considering the use of theory. The argument here will be that the localization of transnational theories happens in part in the form of buzzword-like categories, such as “North American sociology” or “positivism” and in part via subsummation under already existing theories and non-theoretic values. The result was –at least for a certain time– a contradictory and rebellious re-creation of theory that is the base for nowadays theory-building in Ecuador.

Sociology in Ecuador, 2022

This Palgrave Pivot presents a concise yet comprehensive history of sociology in Ecuador. The cas... more This Palgrave Pivot presents a concise yet comprehensive history of sociology in Ecuador. The case of Ecuador is especially interesting, as Ecuadorian sociology oscillated between theoretical debates—some of them out of time—and a constant search for ways of applying them to the local reality. In the decades after its formal creation in 1915, early academic sociology in Ecuador worked creatively with already outdated theories around positivism and organicism to understand the indigenous population's position, the regional fragmentation, and the formation of a coherent nation-state in Ecuador. After a short attempt of installing a more technical sociology in the 1960s, those topics were taken up and re-read by Marxist-inspired critical sociology after the 1970s, leading to the nation-wide institutionalization of one particular tradition that could connect to continental debates. This book engages with several relevant debates in social sciences and humanities, particularly by adding to the thriving research on social sciences and the role of the university and higher education in Latin America. Furthermore, it touches some recently influential topics in sociology: Ecuadorian sociology can be read as Southern Theory or engaged with from a postcolonial or decolonial perspective; the research on how ideas travel, are diffused or localized is vital for understanding sociology in Ecuador; the relation between academia and politics; and more.

Los pueblos indígenas de Abya Yala en el siglo XXI. Un análisis multidimensional, 2021

Los 826 pueblos indígenas integrados por 45 millones de personas hacen de Abya Yala (América Lati... more Los 826 pueblos indígenas integrados por 45 millones
de personas hacen de Abya Yala (América Latina) un
continente de gran diversidad social, cultural,
lingüística, demográfica, política y territorial.
Representan más del 8,5 % de la población en América
Latina y constituyen el 30 % de las personas en
situación de pobreza extrema.
El acceso a la educación, salud y justicia con aplicación
intercultural; la plurinacionalidad y la democracia; la
juventud y la identificación étnica; la revitalización
lingüística y la música son algunos de los temas tratados
en esta publicación.
Un libro que no solo pretende tener valor científico y
académico, sino también social. Diez capítulos y 15
autores y autoras que procuran contribuir a la
visibilización, la denuncia y la mejora de las realidades
excluyentes y desiguales en las que se desenvuelven los
pueblos y nacionalidades indígenas.

by Anna Odrowaz-Coates, DR. SRIBAS GOSWAMI, Mariusz Baranowski, Urszula Markowska, Philipp Altmann, Luca Salmieri, Magdalena Lemańczyk, Pawel Popielinski, Dr Basia Vucic, Darrick Smith, Kamalini Mukherjee, Yohanna J O S E P H Waliya, and Annelies Abelmann

The file contains the full text of the book, published in 2017 in Warsaw. From Foreward: "This ed... more The file contains the full text of the book, published in 2017 in Warsaw. From Foreward:
"This edited volume about the educational, social and political issues of the globalized
world, is a collection of chapters by experienced academics from many different countries
that are directly or indirectly entangled in the post-colonial social and economic milieu.
The chapters come from Algeria, Ecuador, India, Italy, Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, the
UK and the USA. The book offers original ways of understating the social and educational
contexts of globalized societies, through the critical lens of a post-colonial framing. In
the title, the word ‘contexts’ refers to the inescapable social and educational environments
that one is immersed in during their upbringing and throughout adult life. In some of the
chapters we find discussions on the sociological aspects of the environment in which the
education is constructed and delivered, in others we find the interconnectivity between
the sociological aspects of life and the systems of education. The issues of social inclusion
and exclusion are ever-present in each of the chapters and power relations are carefully
examined, questioning the ideological and economic underpinning of education and the
world’s social stratification. Due to the cross-continental nature of the book, the principle
of world ‘englishes’ is willingly adopted, entrusting that the chapters will gain a global
readership.
The editors endeavour to allow contributors free expression of their personal beliefs,
to create openness and space for passionate and sometimes ‘non-standard’ approaches, in
order to avoid the routine of false objectivity. This is coherent with the nature of this book,
which aims to reach out for innovative ways of understanding and describing the socioeducational
matrixes we all function in."....

Diese Arbeit hat das Ziel, die Kategorie "Frau", ihre Situation und ihre Konstitution sowohl auf ... more Diese Arbeit hat das Ziel, die Kategorie "Frau", ihre Situation und ihre Konstitution sowohl auf symbolischer als auch soziostruktureller Ebene innerhalb der mexikanischen Kultur und Gesellschaft zu ergründen. Die Konstruktion von Weiblichkeit in Mexiko erfolgt entlang der bedeutungs stiftenden Strukturen einer Vielzahl von Kulturen (zumindest: die ,,indigen/traditionelle", die hispanisch-europäische und die mestizisch/mexikanische), gesellschaftlicher und politischer Institutionen (wie das staatliche Entwicklungsprojekt, Bildungsinitiativen, Kirchen und Religion) und weiterer, diffuser Einflüsse (etwa die Massenmedien in ihren populären Formen).
Gerade deshalb gewinnt die Weiblichkeit der mexikanischen Mestizinnen eine besondere Qualität, die eine Möglichkeit bieten kann, nicht nur eine ,,fremde" Kultur, sondern auch die eigene Wahrnehmung zu analysieren.

Die Indigenenbewegung ist trotz ihrer enormen Diversität ein wichtiger sozialer Akteur in der ec... more Die Indigenenbewegung ist trotz ihrer enormen Diversität ein wichtiger sozialer Akteur in der ecuadorianischen Gesellschaft. Seit einer Sattelzeit zwischen Mitte der 1970er und Mitte der 1980er Jahre hat sie einen Diskurs herausgebildet, der identitäre mit klassistischen Positionen verbindet und um die politischen Begriffe indigene Nationalität, Territorialität, Plurinationalität, Interkulturalität und Gutes Leben herum aufgebaut ist. Philipp Altmann zeigt, wie sich dieser Diskurs gegen die koloniale Strukturierung der Gesellschaft und ihre Auswirkungen – wie etwa Diskriminierung und Ungleichheit – wendet und daher dekolonial zu verstehen ist.

Emulations , 2016

Social Movements in the Global South. This thematic edition of Emulations brings together res... more Social Movements in the Global South.

This thematic edition of Emulations brings together research that breaks away from the dominant Eurocentric bias of social movement theory and tries to understand action, discourse and outcomes of social movements from Colombia, Cameroon and North America (framing Occupy Wall Street within other protest movements from the South such as Arab Spring). Each of these contributions deals both with the perspective of Global North/Global South articulations and shed lights on the particular social contexts.

Los Pueblos Indígenas de Abya Yala en el Siglo XXI. Un Análisis Multidimensional, 2021

El movimiento indígena ecuatoriano se encuentra entre los movimientos sociales mejor organizados ... more El movimiento indígena ecuatoriano se encuentra entre los movimientos sociales mejor organizados en el continente. Como movimiento moderno —con organizaciones formales, membresía delimitada y demandas explícitas— se desarrolla desde 1920. En estos casi cien años de existencia con todos sus cambios sociales, políticos y económicos a nivel local, nacional y global, el movimiento se mantuvo considerablemente constante en su discurso, esto es, en la manera como se presenta hacia afuera y como fórmula sus demandas. No obstante, la influencia de actores externos tuvo su impacto, así como los esfuerzos del movimiento de adaptar su discurso a nuevas circunstancias.

Interculturalidad y artes. Derivas del arte para el proyecto intercultural, 2020

El estudio del arte suele dedicarse a preguntas alrededor de la definición del arte: ¿qué es arte... more El estudio del arte suele dedicarse a preguntas alrededor de la definición del arte: ¿qué es arte y por qué? ¿Cuáles son los criterios según los cuales una obra es definida como arte? En algunos casos, también son temas la difusión social y la relación con el habitus. No obstante, la relación entre arte y cultura (entendida de manera étnica) casi siempre se ignora. Esta contribución busca entender, desde la perspectiva de la sociología del arte, los mecanismos de exclusión del arte y su lógica de funcionamiento en relación con la diversidad cultural. Con este propósito se realizará un análisis del sistema del arte y sus posibles aperturas hacia lo étnico, una revisión de lo que se entiende por cultura (en su dimensión étnica) y de las propuestas de interculturalidad que se aplican al arte.

The study of art is often devoted to questions around the definition of art: what is art and why? What are the criteria according to which a work is defined as art? In some cases, social diffusion and the relationship with the habitus are also issues. However, the relationship between art and culture (understood ethnically) is almost always ignored. This contribution seeks to understand from the perspective of the sociology of art the mechanisms of exclusion of art and its logic of operation in relation to cultural diversity. With this purpose, an analysis of the art system and its possible openings towards the ethnic, a revision of the understanding of the culture (in its ethnic understanding) and of the proposals of interculturality applied to art will be made.

Von der Allmende zur Share Economy, 2018

Der Begriff des Buen Vivir, Sumak Kawsay oder Guten Lebens hat spätestens seit der Verabschiedung... more Der Begriff des Buen Vivir, Sumak Kawsay oder Guten Lebens hat spätestens seit der Verabschiedung der ecuadorianischen Verfassung von 2008 seinen Weg in den globalen Diskurs über Alternativen zu Wachstum und Kapitalismus gefunden. Dabei wurde allerdings vor allem die staatliche Version dieses Begriffs, geprägt von Neo-Extraktivismus und Neo-Nationalismus, aufgegriffen und ihr indigener Ursprung weitgehend ignoriert. Gerade die indigene Version des Sumak Kawsay kann aber zur Diskussion um Commons, Allmende und Share Economy beitragen – sie gründet auf weitentwickelte Forderungen nach territorialer Autonomie mit gemeinschaftlichem Landbesitz im Rahmen eines plurinationalen Staates. Das Sumak Kawsay ist tief verwurzelt in sowohl den gestärkten indigenen Traditionen als auch ihrem Abbild im Diskurs der Indigenenbewegung.
Dieser Text wird auf der Grundlage der verschiedenen Texte der ecuadorianischen Indigenenbewegung eine Annäherung an den Begriff des Guten Lebens versuchen. Dabei soll die Rolle des Gemeinbesitzes an Land und Ressourcen im Kontext eines komplexen Systems sozialer Strukturen im Mittelpunkt stehen. Das Ziel ist es, auf Europa übertragbare Inhalte herauszufiltern und in den Kontext der Diskurse um Commons zu stellen.

Descolonizar el Derecho: Fundamentos legales y políticos del Estado Intercultural, 2018

LSE Latin American and Caribbean blog, 2020

Due to the dire experience of its largest city, Guayaquil, Ecuador became an early global symbol ... more Due to the dire experience of its largest city, Guayaquil, Ecuador became an early global symbol of COVID-19’s devastating health effects. But new survey research reveals that the pandemic has also had serious economic, educational, and emotional consequences. Yet even eights month on, serious failings in health and information systems persist, write Katiuska King, Philipp Altmann, and Rafael Polo Bonilla (Universidad Central del Ecuador).

Tapuya: Latin American Science, Technology and Society, 2023

Professional sociology in Ecuador started with the first chair in sociology in 1915. This led to ... more Professional sociology in Ecuador started with the first chair in sociology in 1915. This led to a series of foundational texts during the 1920s and 30s that sought to define what sociology is while applying it to core aspects of Ecuadorian society. While this time was – in the Global North- marked by a growing centralization on the theories of Durkheim and Weber, the Ecuadorian sociologists preferred other thinkers in order to understand society. The result was a mixture of different theories that were not always clearly articulated but did sustain the first relatively coherent sociological readings of Ecuadorian society. This text will shed light on how the first professional sociology in Ecuador used the classics of sociology in a particular way to build local sociology. The focus will be on the four most relevant sociological thinkers of the first half of the twentieth century, Agustín Cueva Sáenz, Ángel Modesto Paredes, Víctor Gabriel Garcés, and Luis Bossano. They worked with Tarde, Worms, Durkheim, and some German, US-American, and Latin American authors. The creation of the first School for Sociology in the 1960s meant a break from this tradition that has not been reflected adequately until today.

International Journal for the Semiotics of Law - Revue internationale de Sémiotique juridique, 2022

Legality in the Global South suffers from problems of application by convenience. Some rules are ... more Legality in the Global South suffers from problems of application by convenience. Some rules are applied, and some are not, depending on certain actors, such as the State, the stakeholders, or others. This undermines legitimation as constructed by legality and due process. These problems are connected to a wider complex formed by coloniality, internal colonialism, and a form of functional differentiation that limits autonomy of the different social systems. This complex of structural properties allows States and other actors to systematically use one system against the other or—within a given system—one level of rules against the other. This was the case in Ecuador: in the initial months of quarantine due to Covid-19, the government took decisions about external state bonds following international legislation—and quite contrary ones related to local work contracts. Once again, legality followed different paths in diverse cases. Ecuadorian economic authorities accept and respect conditions on external public bonds which are protected by some complex and specific clauses to secure the payment. The same authorities have different practices towards international and national legislation that were organized in the sense of legal subsidiarity. This text will explore reasons and effects of legal de-differentiation in the Global South in times of crisis. The Ecuadorian case in time of Covid-19 helps to understand how structural problems related to the lack of autonomy of the legal system are perpetuated and lead to effects of convenient political action.

Sociedade e Cultura, 2021

La pandemia de COVID-19 ha significado una crisis importante para el Ecuador. Afectó gravemente a... more La pandemia de COVID-19 ha significado una crisis importante para el Ecuador. Afectó gravemente a la situación económica de la población e implicó decisiones inmediatas en materia educativa, así como incertidumbre y expectativas negativas en lo laboral. Como experimento social involuntario, mostró los quiebres en tres tipos de conocimientos: el conocimiento práctico y cotidiano de la población, el conocimiento científico y sobre la ciencia, y el conocimiento emocional. La formación de estos conocimientos facilita a la difusión de información falsa, la incomprensión de la ciencia, y la confusión emocional. Para esto, el artículo se basa en una encuesta de alcance nacional a más de 2.000 hogares en el Ecuador, levantada entre mayo y julio de 2020. Estos datos permiten una revisión de los impactos sociales de la pandemia, incluyendo las estructuras pre-existentes que los hicieron posibles.