El examen de las asociaciones nacionales y regionales de sociología de América Latina, de su estructura y composición como de sus transformaciones es, todavía hoy, una asignatura pendiente en la historia de la disciplina. Este trabajo reconstruye la historia de los primeros años de la Asociación Latinoamericana de Sociología, intentando caracterizar su contexto de emergencia, sus principales rasgos y su papel en la formación de la sociología de la región.

This paper tackles the role played by sociology in the analysis of the transformation processes in the Latin American societies, in following the construction process of both State and Nation, and in questioning the social issues in Latin America. Six periods of sociology in Latin America and in the Caribbean Islands are analyzed: (i) sociology's intellectual inheritance; (ii) the authoritative-teaching sociology; (iii) the "scientific sociology" period and the configuration of the "critical sociology"; (iv) the institutional crisis, consolidation of the "critical sociology", and the diversification of sociology; (v) the sociology of authoritarianism, of democracy, and of exclusion; and (vi) the institutional consolidation and the worldization of sociology in Latin America (from the year 2000 on). It can be said that the distinctive features of the sociological knowledge in the continent have been: internationalism, hybridism, critical approach to the processes and conflicts in the Latin American societies, and social commitment on the part of the sociologist.

O artigo aborda o papel desempenhado pela Sociologia na análise dos processos de transformação das sociedades latino-americanas, no acompanhamento do processo de construção do Estado e da Nação, na problematização das questões sociais na América Latina. São analisados seis períodos na Sociologia na América Latina e no Caribe: I) a herança intelectual da Sociologia ; II) a sociologia da cátedra; III) O período da "Sociologia Científica" e a configuração da "Sociologia Crítica"; IV) a crise institucional, a consolidação da "Sociologia Crítica" e a diversificação da sociologia; V) a sociologia do autoritarismo, da democracia e da exclusão; VI) a consolidação institucional e a mundialização da sociologia da América Latina (desde o ano de 2000), podendo-se afirmar que os traços distintivos do saber sociológico no continente foram: o internacionalismo, o hibridismo, a abordagem crítica dos processos e conflitos das sociedades latino-americanas e o compromisso social do sociólogo.

The article focuses on the role played by Sociology in the analysis of processes of change in Latin American societies, in the process of construction of Nation and State, in the debate of social issues in Latin America and the Caribbean. Six periods in Sociology in Latin America and the Caribbean are examined: I) sociology's intellectual legacy; II) sociology as a cathedra; III) the period of "Scientific Sociology"; IV) the institutional crisis, the consolidation of "Critical Sociology", and the diversifying of sociology; V) sociology of authoritarianism, democracy and exclusion; VI) institutional consolidation and globalization of Latin American sociology (since 2000). It may be said that the distinctive features of sociological knowledge in the continent were: internationalism, hybridism, the critical approach to processes and conflicts of Latin American societies, and the sociologist social commitment.

O objetivo deste artigo é analisar os fenômenos da violência difusa na sociedade contemporânea e discutir os dilemas do controle social. A emergência de uma noção de segurança cidadã, na perspectiva da mundialização, supõe a construção social de novas modalidades de controle social orientadas pelo respeito à dignidade humana.

The objective of this article is to analyze the phenomenon of diffuse violence in society and to discuss the dilemmas of social control. The emergence of the notion of citizen safety, as seen from the perspective of globalization, presupposes the construction of new modes of social control based on respect for human dignity.