Toward a transnational history of the social sciences

Abstract

Historical accounts of the social sciences have too often accepted local or national institutions as a self-evident framework of analysis, instead of considering them as being embedded in transnational relations of various kinds. Evolving patterns of transnational mobility and exchange cut through the neat distinction between the local, the national, and the inter-national, and thus represent an essential component in the dynamics of the social sciences, as well as a fruitful perspective for rethinking their historical development. In this programmatic outline, it is argued that a transnational history of the social sciences may be fruitfully understood on the basis of three general mechanisms, which have structured the transnational flows of people and ideas in decisive ways: (a) the functioning of international scholarly institutions, (b) the transnational mobility of scholars, and (c) the politics of trans-national exchange of nonacademic institutions. The article subsequently examines and illustrates each of these mechanisms.

Methodology of the History of the Social and Behavioral Sciences

“…Traditional academies did not play a big role in SBS, but research networks of the 'invisible college' type and occasional happenstances as the coming together of a class of fellows at one of the centers of advanced study, offering not only the 'leisure of the theory class' (Bell, 2000: 448) but serendipitous stimulation for each of them, deserve closer examination (Heilbron et al, 2008). The still underresearched forum where ideas were exchanged, evaluated, and further developed are publications, and journals in particular.…”

History of sociology and the quest for intellectual autonomy in the Global South: The cases of Alberto Guerreiro Ramos and Syed Hussein Alatas

“…Johan Heilbron et al(2008) argued that researchers often take for granted the nation-state framework when analyzing ideas, intellectuals and institutions. Although institutions are locally settled, they are embedded in transnational networks that allow ideas to circulate globally.…”

For a centre-periphery model in the social sciences. Problematic aspects of international relations in the social sciences

“…Crawford, Shinn & Sörlin, 1993 ;Gingras, 2002 ;Heilbron, 2008 ;Heilbron, Guilhot & Jeanpierre, 2008). Cette dimension « nationale » ou « locale » -termes utilisés ici comme synonymes, en opposition à « international », « global » dans le sens topographique, ou « général », « universel » dans le sens épistémologique -est d'une importance majeure et parfois sous-estimée dans les sciences sociales.…”