Abstract
This article seeks to discuss different dimensions of the relation between centers and peripheries in the production and circulation of knowledge, based on a case study of research programs of human and medical genetics in Brazil. Fieldwork included the selection of a sample of researchers in the field of human and medical genetics in Brazil, leading to the identification of graduate programs of “excellence”, located in four public research universities: Universidade de São Paulo - campus Ribeirão Preto; Universidade Estadual de Campinas; Universidade Federal do Pará, and Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. 46 semi-structured interviews were held with researchers belonging to the institutions hosting these programmes, after which the software Atlas Ti was used to analyse them. Exploring this material allowed to discuss the representations of these researchers about the possibilities and limits to conduct research in a disciplinary context perceived as unequal, compared to the foreign research centers visited in their training and postdoctoral experiences. These representations are summarized in the idea of a relational periphery, articulated in terms of lack, understood in reference to institutional, financial, technical, cultural and cognitive questions.
Keywords:
Center-periphery relations; Production and circulation of knowledge; International collaborations; Human and medical genetics; Brazilian science