Session Abstract

This is the second of two panels devoted to “The Science of Improvement: Race, Public Health and Politics in
Latin America." It focuses on the intersection of indigeneity, science, and development in mid-twentieth century Latin America.
Specifically addressing the scientific interactions between medical professionals and their publics in Mexico, Argentina, and Chile, the
papers in this panel examine how nations utilized science to address questions of modernity among their indigenous populations.
The papers analyze the role of newly developed institutions in introducing Western medicine and modern hygienic practices to
indigenous communities. They confront the shifting relationship between indigenous communities and the modern nation state, as
well as the racialized discourse that stemmed from these interactions. They not only examine the state’s use of public health
campaigns to promote larger modernization objectives, but also the role of indigenous peoples in accepting, rejecting, or modifying
these programs based on their own health priorities. The papers evaluate the healthcare practitioners and cultural promoters who
served as intermediaries between national policymakers and community leaders. They consider the influence of pilot centers that
served as testing ground for implementing these policies and how state officials attempted to forge greater national consolidation,
both in terms of political authority and cultural uniformity. Finally, the papers investigate the effect of scientific and population research
on political development. The panel will be of interest to a wide range of scholars including historians of Latin America, indigenous
peoples, public health, medicine, race, identity, and nation building.