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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 October 2022
The study of politics in british universities has traditionally been historical in approach and parochial in scope. It is only recently that the teaching and research interests of british political scientists have spread beyond the Anglo-European parliamentary tradition to the more ‘exotic’ areas of what is inaccurately called the ‘third world’. In the first half of this century the observation and analysis of political activity in the non-European parts of the world were the unchallenged concerns of travellers, diplomats, and journalists; and their writings found few serious readers in the universities. Their work was regarded, and often conceived, as a species of adventurers' tales describing quaint but essentially pre-political societies.
This report was prepared while the author was attached to the Center for Latin American Research and Documentation, Amsterdam.
1. The introspective debates of American political science of the 1950's and 60's were slow in taking effect in British circles. The historical and parochial styles of analysis noted and criticized by Roy Macridis in the U.S.A. in the 1950's persisted in British departments of Politics and Government without serious questioning well into the 1960's and in some cases even into the 1970's.
2. See the works of such anthropologists as Gluckman, Evans-Pritchard, Radcliffe-Brown, and Mair.
3. Lord James Bryce, South America: Some Observations and Impressions (New York, 1913).
4. R.I.I.A., The Republics of South America (London, 1937).
5. G. Pendle, Uruguay (London, 1952).
6. W. O. Galbraith, Colombia (1953); H. Osborne, Bolivia (1954); L. Linke, Ecuador (1954); G. Pendle, Paraguay (1954; G. Pendle, Argentina (1955); G. Butland, Chile (1956); E. Lieuwen, Venezuela (1961); H. F. Cline, Mexico (1962); R. J. Owen, Peru (1963); F. Parker, The Central American Republics (1964) and R. D. Logan, Haiti and the Dominican Republic (1968).
7. C. Véliz, ed., Obstacles to Change in Latin America (London, 1965).
8. Viz. Report of the University Grants Sub-committee on Oriental, Slavonic, East-European and African Studies (The Hayter Report), (London, H.M.S.O., 1961).
9. Report of the University Grants Committee Sub-committee on Latin American Studies (The Parry Report), (London, H.M.S.O., 1965), p. iii.
10. Ibid. p. 44.
11. For a detailed discussion of the establishment and early progress of the Parry centers, see H. Blakemore, “Latin American Studies in British Universities: Progress and Prospects,” Latin American Research Review, V(3), 1970.
12. Two such people are G. Connell-Smith of the University of Hull and P. A. Calvert of the University of Southampton.
13. P. Ranis, “Trends in Research on Latin American Politics.” Latin American Research Review, III(3), 1969.
14. For a statement on the state of such research, see P. Flynn, “Latin American Political Studies in British Universities.” Paper delivered to the Primera Asamblea Plenaria of the Consejo Europeo de Investigaciones Sociales sobre América Latina (CEISAL). Rheda, West Germany, 1971. (Mimeo).
15. It is possible to argue that the small numbers of students joining the Foreign Office and firms and banks with Latin American interests is related to the attitudes of the students. These organizations claim that very few students actually apply for positions. Although it is true that a good many students are ideologically opposed to employment of this sort, many are not; and these organizations have made few visible attempts at recruitment from this pool of expertise.
16. I am aware of the dangers of using the terms ‘supply’ and ‘demand’ in this, as in any academic, context. There is, for instance, no shortage of ‘demand’ for the facilities and supervision offered by the Centers from the student community. There is also a ‘demand’ from the educational system as a whole, i.e. from polytechnics, colleges of commerce, and secondary schools. In these cases, however, the Latin American content of the degrees is only marginally significant.
17. A post-graduate course on public administration, which includes a large Latin American component, is taught by the department of Overseas Administrative Studies at the University of Manchester. It is, however, directed at Latin American administrators and involves little research. See W. Wood, “The Manchester Course of Public Administration Studies for Government Officials of Latin American Countries.” Bank of London and South America Review, III (32), August, 1969.
18. Viz. P. Ranis, op. cit.
19. P. Flynn, op. cit., p. 2.
20. By 1973, approximately 20 books by members of this community had either been published or were in the late stages of publication.
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