Los cierres de carreras de Sociología en América Latina (1962-2024)

Although there is extensive historiography on the disciplinary and institutional fields of sociology in Latin America, one aspect that has been little studied is the closure of academic units dedicated to professional training in this discipline. This study aims to systematize and analyze the processes of closing sociology programs across the region, understanding this phenomenon as a case of deinstitutionalization and examining the circumstances and cases in which it occurred. To achieve this, a review of the national histories of the discipline was conducted, complemented by case studies and institutional documents. The findings reveal that, between 1962 and 2024, closures were reported in 43 academic units offering professional training in sociology across eleven countries in the region. Of these, five were able to resume activities later, while 38 have remained closed. Within this latter group, Argentina leads with 11 permanent closures, followed by Colombia with 7. Although the predominant historical narrative about sociology in Latin America tends to emphasize closures that occurred under authoritarian contexts, the findings indicate that most closures took place over the last three decades in private universities, primarily due to economic reasons. Thisstudy broadens the perspective on the professionalization process of the discipline, focusing on the countertrend represented by deinstitutionalization.