The emergence of diffusion theory in Latin America: a restropect analysis
Keywords:
Diffusion of innovation, dominant paradigm, modernization, Latin AmericaAbstract
Diffusion of Innovation is one of the most widely studied and applied theories in different contexts all over the world. However, this is not the case in Latin American countries. Most of the literature that deals with Diffusion of Innovation maintains a critical approach. This paper reviews the way that earlier diffusionist studies were carried out and applied in Latin America. Four intellectual constructions that were pervasive in the mainstream American academy (the dominant paradigm, the linear conceptualization of communication, the modernization theory and the notion of powerful effect) left a mark on the earlier diffusion theory that guided its application in a concrete direction in the region. However, it seems that the application of the theory in the continent left a type of stigma that held new Latin American scholars away from this practical and popular theory.
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