Indigenization of Social Sciences in the Third World: Achievements and Impediments

Modern social sciences developed in the Western Europe and later in North America, and from there it disseminated to the rest of the world, which created a hierarchical world social science system with its center and periphery. The critiques of this worldwide unequal division of scientific labor called for the development of independent and indigenous social sciences relevant to the conditions of the ‘Southern’ regions and nations. This movement and discourse started in 1970s and spread throughout the world, particularly in the developing South. Ever since, various attempts have been made in order to indigenize and create autonomous social sciences in these countries. After more than four decades of such efforts, it is worthwhile to study and evaluate achievements, impediments and prospects of this scientific endeavor. In this paper, after discussing development and introduction of modern social sciences to the world, the formation of world social science system and its structure is investigated. Since almost all the Third World countries fall in the periphery of the system, the reaction of their social science scholars to this dependent status is studied, which partially ended in the development of indigenization movement. Those who believe in the necessity of indigenization of social sciences, have been trying to pave the path for the development of such sciences in the Southern nations. In the rest of the paper various attempts made in this regard, factors impeding it, and the prospects of emergence of independent and indigenous social sciences is discussed. It is concluded that, despite efforts made, the movement is still in its initial stages and that if the impeding factors are overcome there is the possibility of development of alternative social sciences in the Third World nations.