Uncontested Science and Boundary Work: The Conceptualization and Measurement of Poverty in Chile (1987-2013)

This paper addresses the social scientific construction of the poverty in Chile, whose measurement is coordinated from the State, being of great relevance for the design of social policies and programs, and to monitor government action. The currently applied  theoretical and methodological construction remained uncontested from 1987 to 2012. Despite that long period in which the measurement was a tightly sealed black box, there were many aspects that could have been questioned, from both technical and political perspectives. In year 2012 a public controversy took place regarding this process. As a result, the Chilean government appointed a committee with the task of making changes in it. A first goal of the presentation is to study the factors that led to that great stability of the instrument, in spite of significant socioeconomic changes that long ago made changes advisable. Special attention is given to: (1) the origins of the measurement, in which the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC) participates in an outstanding way and transferred a methodology developed for the whole region of Latin America; (2) the boundary work made by experts involved in the measurement; (3) the circulation of this epistemic construction between academic centers, state institutions and the public sphere, all of which strengthen its character of reality and hinder its questioning. A second objective is to analyze how the 2012 controversy was generated and developed. Attention is given to the intertwining of political and scientific concerns and to the rhetorical handlings associated to the boundary work done by rival factions. A third objective is to analyze the outcome of the controversy, in which the scientific demarcation is still used to hide political dilemmas and complex normative choices. The study gathers information through interviews and document reviews, and by following key players in their participation in the controversy.