From: Emilio Tenti <Emilio-AT-iipe-buenosaires.org.ar>
Subject: autonomy
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1999 19:15:54 -0300


IMHO,

The autonomy of the scientific fields is a social and historical (and not
inevitable and reversible) construction. Some intellectuals are interessed
in autonomy while others are not. Some intellectuals wont to win and to get
profits in different fiels in the same time: intellectual and political
field, por ex. More of that: some academics pretend to use political
resources in the scientic strugles (in the universites, etc.).

Autonomy is a relational concept, and refers to others social fiels,
specially political and economic fields. Autonomi refers to the capacity of
define scientific problems, to choise theoretical and metholological
strategies, to define truth criteria, to asses de "scientificity" of proces
and products, etc. 

An other question is: Who is interessed in autonomy and what are de social
conditions of production of such interest?

Emilio TENTI FANFANI
Faculty of Social Sciences
Buenos Aires University
emilio-AT-iipe-buenosaires.org.ar


-----Mensaje original-----
De: bourdieu-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
[mailto:bourdieu-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu]
Enviado el: Lunes 15 de Noviembre de 1999 21:20
Para: bourdieu-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
Asunto: Last post by me 


I should make clear that my last post to the list, which raised the
question of how the scientific field is to be established as an
autonomous field, was just that ... it intended to raise the question
for open discussion.

I've realised that, given the current context of recent postings, using
an excerpt from a posting by Kent Strock may have given the impression
that I was holding it up for question.  That's not the case - I simply
found Kent's summary of the point concise and a good place to start.
Unfortunately, because it came from a posting which responded to
criticisms of him, it may have given the impression of another
intervention in that ongoing debate.  Rather, I hoped to actually start
a discussion on a quite different topic: namely, the issue of how we are
to understand PB's calls for the scientific field to strive to be
autonomous.

With best wishes,

Karl

Karl Maton
School of Education, University of Cambridge

Correspondence address:
108 Avenue Road Extension, Leicester LE2 3EH
Tel: 0116 220 1066
Email: karl.maton-AT-dtn.ntl.com

I am certain of nothing but the holiness of the hearts affections and
the truth of the imagination
Keats


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