Interdependent Inequalities in Latin America - desiguALdades.net

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• 1. Co-applicant
• 2. Short description
• 3. Products

1. Co-applicant

• Prof. Dr. Sérgio Costa, Institute for Latin American Studies (LAI), Freie Universität Berlin
  sergio.costa@fu-berlin.de
• Prof. Dr. Marianne Braig, Institute for Latin American Studies (LAI), Freie Universität Berlin
  mbraig@zedat.fu-berlin.de

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2. Short description

Point of departure

The network on Interdependent Inequalities in Latin America -desiguALdades.net, is an international, interdisciplinary and multi-institutional research network. It is based at the Latin-American Institute (LAI) of the Freie Universität Berlin, and the Ibero-American Institute (IAI) of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. The spokespersons of the project are therefore Sérgio Costa and Marianne Braig (LAI) and Barbara Göbel (IAI). Two further central institutions are the German Institute for Development Policy (DIE) in Bonn, and the German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA), Hamburg. The research network is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of its funding line for area studies.

Objectives

desiguALdades.net deals with social inequalities in Latin America characterized by growing global interconnections. About 70 renowned area studies scholars and experts on inequalities in Germany, Europe, and the Americas study the interactions between social inequalities and transregional interdependencies. Through this work they contribute to the further development of research on inequalities in the social sciences.

The two central research questions of the network are: (a) To what extent are the possibilities for accessing and redistributing goods and social positions in Latin America characterized not only by local regional and national but also by global and transregional interdependencies? (b) To what extent do transregional figurations of inequality lead to unequal power positions and/or possibilities for interaction, as well as to permanent constraints for the quality of life and development opportunities of affected individuals, social groups or societies?

Latin America is especially suited for this research perspective. First, it is characterized by strong social, economic and cultural inequalities. This is a situation that shows a long historical continuity. Second, inequalities in Latin America are significantly affected by transregional interconnections.

Another important reason for the regional focus is the particular dynamic and innovation associated with the new Latin American research on inequalities. While German research influenced the discussion on social inequalities from the beginning of the modern social sciences onward, new theoretical perspectives developed in Latin America have not been sufficiently discussed in Europe. A central goal of desiguALdades.net is therefore to encourage a transatlantic dialogue between researchers in Germany and the Americas. With its focus on transregional interdependencies, the network pursues not only a research goal but also a networking goal. It seeks to bring together research areas that have traditionally developed separately, developing new theoretical and methodological perspectives for research on inequalities.

Task Schedule

To approach the two research questions presented above, we differentiate among various dimensions of inequalities: I. socio-economic dimensions of inequality, II. socio-political dimensions, and III. socio-ecological dimensions. Each research dimension consists of a group of five to six researchers that work in close interaction with the other research dimensions. Associated researchers and institutions in Germany, Europe and the Americas also form part of the network.

The socio-economic dimension of inequality is approached through a structural analytical perspective. In inequality research it is traditionally approached by political economy and sociology as well as through contributions from historiography and the legal sciences. The socio-political dimension of social in equality analyzes power on transregional logics and patterns of perceptions, representations, experiences and the negotiation of inequalities as represented by various approaches in political science, sociology, historiography, and legal sciences. The socio-ecological dimension of inequality takes the environment as a prism of interdependent inequalities. In addition to natural resources knowledge and culture are also taken into account, relating these issues to ongoing discussions within certain approaches in social anthropology, social geography and sociology. The third research dimension (III) on socio-ecological inequalities is coordinated by the Ibero-American Institute.

 

The three research dimensions are connected through a fourth, cross-cutting research dimension that deals systematically with methodological and theoretical questions. Here, the focus is on temporal dimensions and spatial scales as well as on systematizing translocal and transregional interrelationships.

In addition, the Ibero-American Institute coordinates transversal research focusing on knowledge asymmetries.

Expected Results

The network implements a series of formats and uses specific instruments for internationalization and knowledge production. On the one hand it grants doctoral stipends (short and long-term) as well as postdoctoral scholarships. Moreover it finances guest researchers. Yearly conferences, summer schools, development policy seminars and workshops encourage academic exchange and the visibility of the network.

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3. Products

Publications

• Publications

  Research results of the network are published in books, edited volumes, articles and dissertations. The publications on socio-ecological inequalities include: Braig, Marianne und Göbel, Barbara (Eds.). 2013. Globalización de la naturaleza y ciudadanía: resistencias, conflictos, negociaciones.Iberoamericana Dossier; andGöbel, Barbara und Ulloa, Astrid (Eds.). 2014. Extractivismo minero en Colombia y América Latina, serie Perspectivas Ambientales, Bogotá: Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Biblioteca Abierta, Colección General

   

  The desiguALdades.net Working Papers Series, accessible online, is edited by Dr. Barbara Göbel (IAI). In the first phase of the project 72 working papers were published. Among these, numbers 7, 13, 14, 17, 20, 19, 23, 26, 34, 38, 41, 48, 50 and 56 deal with socio-ecological inequalities and Working Papers 21, 32, 39, 59, 62 have a focus on knowledge asymmetries.

   

  CROLAR, A bi-yearly online publication exists since 2012 and publishes critical reviews on Latin American research. The interdisciplinary publication is freely accessible. The journal is an initiative of the doctoral students of desigualdades.net. Researchers in the network participate in the advisory and editorial boards of the journal and are active as editors.

Additional Products

• Conferences

  The research network regularly organizes international conferences on a specific topic, strengthening the exchange between area and inequality studies. Between 2009 and 2014 three international conferences were organized in Berlin:

• Inaugural desiguALdades.net Conference:

  Global Interdependencies: Latin American Configurations December 2-4, 2010, Berlin.

• Second desiguALdades.net Annual Conference:

  New Differences, Persistent Inequalities? Latin American Experiences. December 8 - 9, 2011, Berlin.

• Third desiguALdades.net Annual Conference:

  Inequalities in Latin America: Frictions between Global Configurations and National Negotiations, April 10 -11, 2014, Berlin

• Summer Schools

  The summer schools are carried out with partner institutions in the Americas. The goal is to strengthen regional ties within the network.

• First desiguALdades.net Summer School:Interdependent Inequalities in Latin America.

  CEM/CEBRAP São Paulo, Brazil. November 1-5, 2010

• Second desiguALdades.net Summer School 2011: Interdependent Inequalities in a Global Perspective. Class, Racial, Gender and Ethnic Asymmetries in Latin America.

  IDES, Buenos Aires, Argentina. October 31– November 4, 2011

• Third desiguALdades.net Summer School 2012: Asymmetries of Knowledge: Unequal Knowledges – Knowledge Inequalities.

  Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá and Villa de Leyva, Colombia. October 29 –November 3, 2012.

• Fourth desiguALdades.net Summer School 2013: The Globalization of Nature and Social Inequalities: Structures – Disputes – Negotiations.

  Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Lima, Peru, October 21 – 25, 2013.

• Seminar on Development Policy

  The yearly seminars on development policy facilitate the exchange between the scientific community and practitioners in the field of development.

• Workshops

  Periodical workshops enable the network to shape its academic profile as well as the research dimensions to further develop their understanding of interdependent inequalities.

• Symposia

  Symposia in cooperation with international partners contribute the international exchange.