Foundations for the definition of a research policy

Abstract

This paper presents a critical analysis of the foundations necessary to define a research policy in Latin American anthropology, highlighting the contemporary challenges facing the discipline. Two main dangers are identified: the excessive particularization of the topics of study, influenced by North American social science, and the substitution of scientific objectivity by ideological discourses, derived from dogmatic deformations of Marxism. It is argued that, between these extremes, anthropological research must seek a balance that allows both scientific rigor and a global understanding of social phenomena. The Otavaleño Institute of Anthropology, aware of the importance of orienting research towards social change, advocates for an interdisciplinary and experimental methodology that allows the development of theoretical models applicable to diverse realities. The need to overcome localist approaches and develop an integrative vision that responds to the complex dynamics of Ecuadorian and Latin American society is emphasized.