Sociological Knowledge in Latin America: Instrumentalisation and Critical Thought in Gino Germani's Ideas

Abstract

Germani’s ideas are an indispensable theoretical framework to analyse social dynamics in the region and its meandering modernisation process. Both his actions and ideas have been classified in many ways and levels: Theorist of modernisation, anti-fascist, untiring warrior, academic impresario and imperialist sociologist; however, all these categories seem to be unsatisfactory to understandably think of his complex work. Besides, he did not openly offer a framework from the sociology of knowledge, his ideas are actually interesting from this point of view. His readings and interpretations of the relations between politics and science, his ideas on the role of contemporary sociology and also his own life story fighting against totalitarian regimes set a map to draw a systematic interpretation of the scientists and intellectuals in modern societies. In that pattern, Germani put sociology and sociologists in the centre. So, this chapter aims to present and discuss Germani’s contributions to the sociology of knowledge. Looking at his ideas and actions, this work wants to understand the ways Germani proposed but also used sociological knowledge, both in terms of instrumental and critical framework, in the study of modernisation theory and in his public participation to orient policies in Argentina.