Glauco ArbixPresident, Institute for Applied Economic Research – IPEAProfessor of Sociology - University of São Paulo - BRAZIL

Brussels, December 2005

Brazilian Social Sciences: Brazilian Social Sciences: Between the Past and the FutureBetween the Past and the Future

The Social Sciences in BrazilThe Social Sciences in Brazil 

The social sciences advance: Growing body of highly qualified professionals with

Master’s Degrees and Phds. Sharp increase in the number of publications in indexed

periodicals New thematic areas:

functioning of institutions the electoral process and the political system international relations crime and violence technology and innovation regional issues drug trafficking and corruption local participatory democracy 

A more complex, diversified and plural scientific community

Master degree recipients in humanities in Brazil, by level, year and selected sub-areas

Sub-area 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Anthropology (1) 86 76 77 95 112 105 118 107 Political Science (2) 86 89 84 94 92 112 101 119 Sociology (3) 248 255 226 264 275 265 423 415 1+2+3 (4) 420 420 387 453 479 482 642 641 Humanities* (5) 2,036 2,236 2,159 2,485 3,055 3,420 4,253 4,480 All recipients (6) 10,499 11,922 12,681 15,324 18,132 19,630 23,359 25,996 Source: CAPES, 2005 (author's elaboration). Note: * The Humanities are anthropology, political science, education, philosophy, geography, history, psicology, sociology and teology.

Doctoral recipients in humanities in Brazil, by level, year and selected sub-areas

Sub-area 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Anthropology (1) 17 25 34 23 25 31 33 35 Political Science (2) 5 29 27 14 24 18 13 28 Sociology (3) 58 74 105 134 140 151 161 206 1+2+3 (4) 80 128 166 171 189 200 207 269 Humanities* (5) 435 636 653 756 892 1,025 1,139 1,283 All recipients (6) 2,985 3,620 3,949 4,853 5,335 6,042 6,893 8,094 Source: CAPES, 2005 (author's elaboration). Note: * The Humanities are anthropology, political science, education, philosophy, geography, history, psicology, sociology and teology.

Research groups in humanities in Research groups in humanities in social science sub-areassocial science sub-areas

Research groups by area for selected years Area 1993 1995 2000 2002

Groups % Groups % Groups % Groups % Natural Sciences 1,296 31 2,245 31 3,638 31 4,294 28 Life Sciences 1,916 46 3,427 47 4,904 42 6,292 42 Humanities 916 22 1,599 22 3,218 27 4,572 30 Total 4,128 100 7,271 100 11,760 100 15,158 100

Research groups in humanities in social science sub-areas for selected years Anthropology 57 0.9 59 0.8 113 1.0 142 0.9 Political Science 55 0.8 50 0.7 72 0.6 95 0.6 Sociology 88 1.4 100 1.4 187 1.6 240 1.6 Total 200 3.1 209 2.9 372 3.2 477 3.1 Source: CNPq, 2005.

Professionalization of the social sciencesProfessionalization of the social sciences

The social sciences changed with the creation of postgraduate courses in the 1970s. International exchanges were a

decisive factor.

Professionalization of the social sciences with the introduction of new methodologies, and frontier debates

Close relations with the United States and Europe made a deep impact on the level of social sciences in Brazil

TrajectoryTrajectory

In the mid-1970s the emphasis switched to themes related to the reactivation of civil society, social movements, and redemocratization

  The mid-80s to the mid-90s witnessed a boom in

analyses of the identities and social representations of urban, rural, trade union, gender, black and ecological movements

This fragmentation has been followed by a sharp dissociation between the social question and the country´s macrostrutural conditions

  

Stimulate the qualitative improvement of institutions and researchers

Perfect performance assessment systems Extend the use of frontier methodologies Adopt a cosmopolitan and open stance Increase synergies with international research

networks

The search for The search for socially relevant and integrating themes

The Social Sciences in Brazil have reached a level of maturity which enables a positive redrawing of its identity to be made. To

achieve this it is necessary to concentrate on socially relevant and integrating themes. 

Brazil’s social sciences are being Brazil’s social sciences are being invited to transcend their limitsinvited to transcend their limits

The social scientist should be guided by a sense of responsibility towards society. This means,

respect for citizenship, the quest for social justice and reduction of inequalities. And,

clearly, acting with the dignity given by the independence and commitment needed to

produce new knowledge.

THANK YOU