The Circulation of Two Epistemic Objects That Carry Social Science Knowledge: Domestic Violence and Bullying

This presentation follows the circulation of two epistemic objects, namely domestic violence and bullying, in Chile, from their appearance in this country in the decades of 1990 and 2000, respectively. Social science knowledge plays a major role in the configuration of both epistemic objects. Also, both objects have important normative and emotional contents, making them relevant for the orientation of actors. In this manner, domestic violence and bullying are part of performative processes through which social science knowledge shapes reality.

The definitive positioning of domestic violence and bullying as part of everyday reality in Chile resulted largely from State-led processes of measurement, diffusion and regulation. Their arrival and diffusion was induced by several social processes. In the case of domestic violence, the feminist movement, with its claims during the 1980s, was a crucial lever. Bullying, instead, has a more diffuse arrival, being mass media, particularly television, its fundamental driver. International organizations such as the World Health Organizations and UNESCO played a key role in the circulation of both constructs. They have provided conceptual and methodological tools, as well as facilitated and disseminated research and provided funding. Moreover, international organizations have incorporated in these constructions a decisive normative framing that is associated with developments in Human Rights.

Some repercussions of these processes are analyzed regarding the globalization or universalization of these realities or cognitive objects and to the respective effect of perceptual and normative shaping. The empirical study is based on interviews to relevant agents (state functionaries, policemen, educators, psychologists, physicians, etc.), ethnographic work regarding measurement and classification practices, and revision of documents related to processes of constitution of these constructs.