Peru in theory

Abstract

All social theory seeks to improve our understanding of complex human phenomena. And the greatest challenge for a social theory is to carry out this work in a different human space than the one that initially generated it; that is, you must be able to take a work trip. In the recently published book "Peru in Theory" (Drinot et al., IEP 2017), a group of prominent Peruvians poses this challenge to the ideas of some of the most important theorists in the social sciences. The book compiles chapters in which various researchers appeal to the concepts and theories of authors of the stature of Samuel Huntington, Judith Butler, or Michael Mann to analyze vital social issues in contemporary Peru. The aim of the book is both simple and ambitious: to produce a fruitful and mutually beneficial encounter for both Peru and social theory.