Seminario de inv., Estudios sociales e históricos de la cuantificación social 2o ciclo 2025 sesión 3

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The presentation offers valuable insights into the history of statistics in Mexico, challenging teleological narratives and emphasizing the contingent, subjective aspects of statistical production. Cházaro’s argument is well-supported by archival evidence and theoretical frameworks, such as Deleuze and Guattari’s concepts, which she applies effectively to historical analysis. She convincingly demonstrates that the consolidation of official statistics was not merely institutional but involved personal virtues, networks, and resistances. The argumentation is solid, though it could benefit from more comparative perspectives with other Latin American countries to strengthen its claims.

Scientific Rigor, Source Quality, Title Accuracy

The presentation is rigorous, drawing on the author’s published work and archival sources. Cházaro cites specific documents and individuals, such as Antonio Peñafiel and the Dirección General de Estadística, and references theoretical works like Deleuze and Guattari’s ‘A Thousand Plateaus’. However, the talk is a seminar presentation, so sources are not systematically cited in real-time. The title accurately reflects the content, focusing on statistical culture and public life in Mexico. No comments were provided, so no analysis of public reception is possible.

The title accurately reflects the seminar's focus on social and historical studies of quantification, and the session specifically addresses statistical culture and public life.

8/10

The presentation is based on the author's published research (2022) and draws on archival sources, but it is a seminar presentation with limited external verification. The speaker is a recognized researcher in the history of science, and the content is well-argued, but it remains an expert opinion rather than a peer-reviewed presentation.

Markers derived by PSI from the transcript: the creator did not define chapters.

• 02:00Introduction of the seminar and speaker, Laura Cházaro García.
• 10:00Cházaro introduces her research question: why Mexico's first national census was delayed until 1895.
• 20:00Discussion of the concept of 'smooth' and 'striated' spaces from Deleuze and Guattari.
• 30:00Presentation of early statistical attempts by the Sociedad Mexicana de Geografía y Estadística and medical institutions.
• 40:00Focus on Antonio Peñafiel and the Dirección General de Estadística, highlighting bureaucratic resistance.
• 50:00Examples of statistical tables and graphs as political emblems.
• 1:00:00Discussion of the commercialization of statistics and the role of private agents.
• 1:10:00Analysis of the challenges faced by census takers and the resistance of citizens.
• 1:20:00Conclusion: statistics as a complex epistemological and political endeavor.

• Cházaro García, L. (2022). [Title of the published text] — The speaker presents her own published work from 2022, which is the basis of this seminar.
• Deleuze, G., & Guattari, F. (1980). A Thousand Plateaus — Referenced for the concepts of 'smooth' and 'striated' spaces.
• Porter, T. (1995). Trust in Numbers — Mentioned in relation to the behavior of bureaucrats as 'gentlemen'.

• Leticia Mayer (works on Mexican statistics) — Mentioned as a scholar who has studied national statistics in Mexico.
• Mesa, de la Peña, Wilky (works on Mexican statistics) — Referenced as other researchers in the field.