Entangled Histories: An Analysis Of The Anglophone Histories Of Science In Latin America From Dependence Decoloniality, 1950-Present

Science in Latin America has a rich, complex history characterized by a hybridization of multiple Indigenous, Creole, imperial Iberian and Western/Northern knowledge practices. As a result of these entangled histories, Latin American science does not fit easily into the standard periodization of Western histories of science, nor into traditional Latin American historical periodization. This inability to effectively categorize and constrain the heterogeneous histories of Latin American science has meant that these fascinating narratives have been widely ignored by historians in the West. After reading widely from what has been published over the years, some patterns began to emerge in the ways in which Western-located academics have considered the subject. This thesis examines how Anglophone historians have written about science in Latin America over the previous 70 years, from the early narratives of dependence, through social histories and constructivism, to more recent postcolonial histories and decolonial standpoints. The hope is that through such historical self-reflection, Anglophone historians will more readily incorporate heterogeneous and pluriversal perspectives on science in Latin America in their research and in their curriculums, and also begin to publish works that are accessible to diverse peoples outside of niche academic circles.