Socio-political Histories of Latin American Statistics (Studies of the Americas)

This book brings together recent research on the sociopolitical history of Latin American statistics from the nineteenth to the first half of the twentieth century. Reflecting the influence of social constructivism in the social sciences, it sheds new light on the historical emergence and development of both statistical reasoning and practices within a region traditionally seen as a passive consumer of foreign-produced theories and methods. By analysing the processes of institutionalisation of statistics in different national spaces, from Mexico to the Southern Cone, these studies show the unique ways in which Latin America adapted and used this modern tool of government and social classification to build political regimes and scientific arenas. The early enthusiasm for enumerating reality, the regular production of statistics and censuses, and the role of the region in the global transformation of this knowledge are some of the aspects reviewed to grasp the contingent dynamic of these dialogues and appropriations. Thus, Socio-political Histories of Latin American Statistics seeks to offer new insights into the divergent regional trajectories of this discipline, advancing towards an understanding of statistics and its past from a truly global perspective. Contents Notes on Contributors Abbreviations List of Figures List of Tables 1 Introduction Statistics and the Construction of Latin American Nation States Cultivating Statistics from Some Corner of Latin America Statistical Culture in the Frame of Latin American Hybridisations About This Book References 2 The ‘Philosophical Eye’ and the ‘Industrial Spy’: Statistical Thinking in South America After Independence The Moral Principle Useful Descriptions Conclusions References 3 Mapping Numbers: Statistics, Cartography, and the Making of National Space in Brazil Introduction: Reasons for a Combined Study Maps and Censuses as Descriptive Instruments of Sovereign Power Statistical Cartography and the Regionalisation of Brazil Final Remarks References 4 Portraits for an Exhibition: The Making of a Statistical Culture for Public Life in Mexico During the Time of the Dirección General de Estadística, 1882–1922 Smooth Spaces The Striated and the Resistance of the Gentlemen Practices of Collecting Statistical Data During Peñafiel’s Life Administrative Technologies: Surveys, the Hobby of Collecting, and the Publication of Charts The Strength of the Impersonal and the Organisation of National Statistics Final Ideas References 5 Ethnic Origin, Race, and Nation in the Argentine Censuses, 1869–1914 The Weakest Enemy A Beautiful White Race The First Element of Progress Conclusion References 6 Loose Numbers: Political Centralisation and Statistical Fragmentation in Colombia, 1886–1930 The Production of Official Statistics in the First Years of the República Conservadora Between Physicians and Parish Priests First Reform: The Statistics Office Second Reform: The Central Statistics Office A (Failed) Demographic Turn Scenes of Administrative Centralisation The General Board of Statistics The Anuario Estadístico Health Statistics Centralisation Above, Fragmentation Below Foreign Experts and the General Accounting Office The National Statistical Board Conclusion References 7 Socio-political History of Latin American Statistics: A Bibliographical Essay Numbers and Institutions. The First Socio-Political Histories of Latin American Statistics The Evolution of a ‘Symptom’. The Socio-Political History of Latin American Statistics in the Twenty-First Century States, Statistical Apparatuses, and Specialised Bureaucracies Statistical Discourses and National Imaginaries Statistics: From International to Domestic Circulation Statistics, Scientific Cultures, and Technical Instruments Recent Trends of Research References This book brings together recent research on the sociopolitical history of Latin American statistics from the nineteenth to the first half of the twentieth century. Reflecting the influence of social constructivism in the social sciences, it sheds new light on the historical emergence and development of both statistical reasoning and practices within a region traditionally seen as a passive consumer of foreign-produced theories and methods. By analysing the early enthusiasm for enumerating reality and the processes of institutionalisation of statistics in different national spaces, from Mexico to the Southern Cone, these studies show the ways in which Latin America adapted and used this modern tool of government and social classification to build political regimes and scientific arenas. The volume offers valuable insights into the divergent regional trajectories of this discipline, advancing towards an understanding of statistics and its past from a truly global perspective. Cecilia T. Lanata-Briones is Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics, University of Warwick, UK, and Adjunct Researcher of the Centro Interdisciplinario para el Estudio de Politicas Publicas, Argentina. Andres Estefane is an independent researcher based in Santiago, Chile; he received his Ph.D. in History from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, USA. Claudia Jorgelina Daniel is Adjunct Researcher at CONICET based in the Centro de Investigaciones Sociales, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina