Brazil: Defense of education and research in the human area
The Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) is very concerned with the recent declarations of the President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, regarding his intention to “decentralize” university resources for the areas of humanities – specifically philosophy and sociology – with the aim of “focusing” on areas such as veterinary science, engineering and medicine.
The "Brazilian Society of Sociology in Defense of Education and Research in Human Areas" states that sociology is a scientific discipline as well as physics, medicine, chemistry, biology, and that "the humanities, including philosophy and sociology, have a long career in the history of knowledge developed in various universities in Brazil and in the world." are equally important for the construction of a modern, developed and more supportive country… The results obtained through sociological research are the result of the use of rigorous methods of obtaining data, the consideration and analysis of multiple sources of information and also of sophisticated techniques without the treatment of quantitative data and qualitative, obtained in various ways.”
Sociology, also said, is an academic discipline present in practically all countries that have universities. In all the contexts in which it is present, it provides relevant contributions to the analysis of questions of public interest such as violence, inequalities, society, life in cities and the countryside, etc. “Our results contribute, in no small measure, to the formulation and implementation of public policies to address the numerous challenges facing our societies.”
Brazil: In Defense of Teaching and Research in the Humanities
The Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) is very concerned about the recent statements by the President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, regarding his intention to "decentralize" university resources towards the humanities - specifically philosophy and sociology - in order to "focus" on areas such as veterinary medicine, engineering, and medicine.
The “Brazilian Society of Sociology in Defense of Teaching and Research in the Humanities” points out that sociology is a scientific discipline just like physics, medicine, chemistry, and biology, and that “the humanities, including philosophy and sociology, have a long history in the history of knowledge, developed in various universities in Brazil and around the world, and are equally important for building a modern, developed, and more equitable country… The results obtained through sociological research are the result of using rigorous methods to obtain data, considering and analyzing multiple sources of information, and also sophisticated techniques in the treatment of quantitative and qualitative data, obtained in various ways.”
“Sociology is also an academic discipline present in virtually every country with universities. In every context where it is present, it has made significant contributions by analyzing topics of public interest such as violence, inequalities, social issues, life in cities and in the countryside, and so on. Its findings contribute greatly to the formulation and implementation of public policies to address the numerous problems facing our societies.”
