Inequality in Ecuadorian Sociology of the 1950s and 1960s

ABSTRACT

Heavy inequalities mark Ecuador. Ecuadorian sociology was always aware of this. Inequality is a central political language of academic sociology in Ecuador and the main field of contact with global sociology, politics, and other local traditions. This is why the treatment of inequality by sociologists in Ecuador shows in an exemplary manner the conceptual shifts taking place – including the local relation to global tendencies in the sense of a global intellectual history. Early Ecuadorian sociology was based on the pre-classics of sociology and their organicist understanding of society: inequality appeared related to morals, education, and work. The main problem was the artificial barriers in society that hindered the participation of indigenous peoples in society, thus producing a social divide. This reading fit well with the political language of that time, allowing for paternalistic reformism that did not put actual social structures into doubt. The 1950s and 1960s condense the development of the sociological debates on inequality, introducing a push for modernisation. However, the concrete possibilities to open Ecuadorian sociology to global debates could not be used. The more contemporary class analysis was finally replaced by a strictly Marxist approach in the 1970s.

KEYWORDS:

• History of science
• university
• Global South
• discourse
• history of concepts

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Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 Palti, “The ‘Theoretical Revolution’”.

2 Koselleck, “Basic Concepts in History,” 17.

3 Palti, “‘Misplaced Ideas’ Revisited,” 152–53.

4 Palti, 175–76.

5 Palti, “The ‘Theoretical Revolution’”.

6 Acharya, “How Ideas Spread,” 240.

7 Ibid., 249.

8 Herbjørnsrud, “Beyond Decolonizing,” 13.

9 Ibid.

10 North, “Economic Performance Through Time,” 359–60.

11 Ibid., 360.

12 Herbjørnsrud, “Beyond Decolonizing,” 15.

13 Campuzano Arteta, “Sociología y misión pública,” 419.

14 Rafael V. Orden Orden Jiménez, “La filosofía de Krause.”

15 Cueva Sáenz, Curso de Sociología.

16 García Ortiz, “Los Estudios Sociológicos,” 147.

17 Cueva Sáenz, “Problema de las razas”.

18 Cueva Sáenz, “Nuestra Organización Social,” 47.

19 Ibid., 48–49.

20 Cueva SáenzIbid., 51.

21 Roig, Psicología y Sociología.

22 This could well be the first mention of the concept of middle class in Ecuador. Following Hernán Ibarra, this concept was introduced in the 1920s. However, it was only in the 1950s and 1960s that a relevant middle class began to form Ibarra, “Notas sobre las clases”.

23 Espinosa Tamayo, Psicología y Sociología, 205.

24 Ibid., 210.

25 Ibid., 207.

26 Bossano, Apuntes Acerca Del Regionalismo, 61.

27 Ibid., 63.

28 Ibid..

29 Ibid., 65.

30 Ibid., 66–67.

31 Ibid., 69–70.

32 Campuzano Arteta, “Sociología y misión pública,” 413.

33 Ibid., 405.

34 Ibid., 426–27.

35 Sarzoza, “La emergencia,” 63.

36 García Ortiz, “Los Estudios Sociológicos,” 152.

37 Ibid., 148.

38 Ibid., 149.

39 Sarzoza, “La emergencia,” 62.

40 Paredes, “Estudio de La Clase.”

41 Díaz, “Cambios Sociales.”

42 North, “Economic Performance Through Time,” 360.

43 Tomás Quevedo, “Lecturas e Influencia de Marx.”

44 Acharya, “How Ideas Spread,” 248.

45 Connell, “Why Is Classical Theory Classical?,” 1534.

46 North, “Economic Performance Through Time,” 364.

47 Blanco, “La Asociación Latinoamericana de Sociología,” 30.

48 Sarzoza, “La emergencia,” 62–63.

49 Ibid., 84–85.

50 Campuzano Arteta, “Sociología y misión pública,” 436.

51 Paredes, “Biología de Las Clases Sociales,” 8–9.

52 Ibid., 15.

53 Ibid., 16.

54 Ibid., 26.

55 Ibid., 29–30.

56 Ibid., 31.

57 Ibid., 37.

58 Ibid., 38.

59 Ibid., 43.

60 Paredes, “Los Rasgos Caracterizantes,” 404–5.

61 Ibid., 410.

62 Ibid., 419.

63 Ibid., 422.

64 Ibid., 425.

65 Ibid., 428–32.

66 Ibid., 436–37.

67 Ibid., 438.

68 Ibid., 439.

69 Ibid., 439.

70 Ibid., 445.

71 Connell, “Why Is Classical Theory Classical?,” 1517.

72 Astudillo, “Clases y Castas En El Ecuador,” 257.

73 Ibid., 258–59.

74 Ibid., 264.

75 Moreano, “Capitalismo y Lucha de Clases.”

76 Campuzano Arteta, “Sociología y misión pública,” 430.

77 Ibid., 432.

78 Sarzoza, “La emergencia,” 56.

79 Campuzano Arteta, “Sociología y misión pública,” 440.

80 Bossano, “Una Modalidad Política,” 8–9.

81 Ibid., 18–20.

82 Ibid., 33.

83 Díaz, “Cambios Sociales,” 722.

84 Ibid., 738.

85 Campuzano Arteta, “Sociología y misión pública,” 437.

86 The Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador and the University of Guayaquil had similar agreements with other US-American universities.

87 Campuzano Arteta, “Sociología y misión pública,” 442.

88 Ibid.

89 Sarzoza, “La emergencia”.

90 Nett, “The Servant Class,” 437; Nett, “The Functional Elites of Quito,” 112.

91 Nett, “The Servant Class.”

92 Nett, “The Functional Elites of Quito.”

93 Herbjørnsrud, “Beyond Decolonizing,” 13.

94 Polo Bonilla, La crítica y sus objetos.

95 Campuzano Arteta, “Sociología y misión pública,” 441–43.

96 Sarzoza, 50, 57.

97 Sarzoza, 53.

98 Cueva Dávila, “Presentación,” 7–8.

99 Ibid., 9.

100 Cueva Dávila, “Notas Sobre El Desarrollo,” 23.

101 Ibid., 25.

102 Ibid., 26.

103 Ibid., 32.

104 Sarzoza, “La emergencia,” 55, 58.

105 Campuzano Arteta, “Sociología y misión pública,” 445, 447.

106 Moreano, “Capitalismo y Lucha de Clases,” 105.

107 Guillaume-Léonce Duprat, “Angel M. Paredes.”

108 Roger Bastide, “Sociology in Latin America.”

109 Acharya, “How Ideas Spread,” 248.

110 Ibid., 253.

111 North, “Economic Performance Through Time,” 360.

112 Ibid., 364.

113 Acharya, “How Ideas Spread,” 253.

114 Ibid., 250.

115 Palti, “‘Misplaced Ideas’ Revisited,” 173–74.

116 Duprat, “Angel M. Paredes”.

117 Palti, 175–76.

118 Herbjørnsrud, “Beyond Decolonizing,” 13.

119 Ibid., 15.