Research in Latin America from a decolonial perspective: Challenges of producing socially situated knowledge.

Abstract

The developmental science literature predominantly originates from WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) countries. This bias perpetuates colonial power imbalances and marginalizes non-WEIRD societies' knowledge. This special issue addresses this gap by focusing on Latin America, emphasizing the region's diverse socioeconomic, cultural, and political contexts. This commentary contextualizes research in Latin America, and then presents and discusses the articles. Finally, it presents some of the challenges researchers in Latin America face.