The "Butler" Syndrome: Academic Culture on the Semiperiphery

Abstract

Discussions about the geopolitics of academic writing frequently make use of the terms “centre” and “periphery” to compare scientific practices and attitudes in different parts of the world. However, there are some countries that do not slot easily into either category, being positioned geographically and economically between the two and sharing features of each. This paper borrows the term semiperiphery from world-systems theory to refer to those second-division players, and outlines some of the characteristics that they have in common. Focusing on the specific case of Portugal, it looks at how semiperipherality both determines and reflects researchers’ productivity within the broader geopolitics of academic practice.