On the periphery of capitalism, Science and Technology Policy (STP) results from the combination of two dynamics: one inherent to the STP as a public policy, and other due to the peripheral condition. The first, generic, can be found "in pure form" in advanced countries and is responsible for the STP anomaly. The second, specific to peripheral countries, gives to their STPs an atypical character. Due to the peripheral socioeconomic and political context, the actors involved in their implementation manifest behaviors systematically different from those observed in (and modeled by) advanced countries. Inserted in an effort to understand the peripheral STP, this paper argues that the anomaly foundation is the myth of Neutrality and Determinism of Technoscience that orients it since when the State decides to influence technological change and research.
Science and technology policy; Decision making; Neutrality; Determinism
