Subordinating objects: epistemic technology to produce centers and peripheries

Abstract

In social studies on science andtechnology, abundant literature has emerged on the importance of space in the production and thecirculation of knowledge. The very idea ofthe circulation of knowledge has received more attention, particularly because of the need to analyze the transformations it undergoes as it travels from its place of origin to its multiple destinations. This article, derived from qualitative research and the analysis of documents on academic trajectories and theoretical influence, introduces the concept of the “subordinating object” to understand how knowledge produced in metropolitan centers is appropriated in peripheral fields.D. R.