Geography and Anthropology: A Comparative Approach to Their Disciplinary Evolution

Abstract

In this article, we draw a parallel between the disciplinary development of Human Geography and Anthropology in Argentina, considering their evolution both as a product of a specific historical and social context and as a set of scientific practices that contributed to shaping that context. We examine the emergence of both disciplines in the late nineteenth century, closely linked to territorial exploration, geographic surveying, and the study of the country’s population during the consolidation of the national state. We then analyze their incorporation into scientific institutions, academic societies, and the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters at the University of Buenos Aires, where they shared institutional spaces, research topics, scholars, and close connections with History. We also explore the gradual differentiation of their research and teaching fields until their establishment as independent university degree programs in the 1950s. Finally, we consider the ideological role of certain disciplinary concepts and academic productions, particularly in relation to territorial unity, national identity, and population policies. The analysis reveals significant similarities in their institutional trajectories and thematic affinities, alongside a gradual process of academic autonomy.