Times and spaces of sociological and social theory: A simultaneous approach of "peripheries" and '"centers"

Abstract

This chapter deploys the theoretical-methodological proposal of a “simultaneous approach,” which also assumes the purpose of “de-centering” social/sociological theory. This approach is sensitive to the relations between spatialities and temporalities, which is particularly suitable for comparative studies between productions from different latitudes that face certain theoretical and epochal crossroads, from the “peripheries” of the South to the “centers” of the North. The aim is to avoid the supposed “temporal distancing” promoted by other perspectives through the assertion that theoretical productions of the South are “delayed” compared to those of the North, or that there is such incommensurability between them that it renders any comparison impossible. In addition to presenting the features of the approach, it is used to analyze the case of Latin American theories of dependency in some detail. Second, focus is on two analytical tools that have proved useful in the framework of the simultaneous approach: the multiplicity of “dimensions” or “registers” and a “critical reflexivity on simultaneity.” It is expected that this contribution will show not only its analytical-practical usefulness but also its political potentiality, restoring for the South a capacity to legitimately produce theory, thus confronting existing inequalities and asymmetries.