Abstract:

In the global landscape of social science research, countries like the United States, Britain, Germany, and France occupy central positions, while others, including China, remain in semi-peripheral or peripheral positions. Since the 1990s, Chinese social science research has pursued internationalization while grappling with the demand for indigenization, creating a dual tension between these two goals. This article argues that the anxiety surrounding these dynamics stems from China’s marginal role in the global knowledge system. From an international comparative perspective, this tension is not unique to China. Non-central countries like India and Turkey also exhibit strong indigenization needs. Historically, the demand for indigenization arose from the introduction of Western social sciences to the non-Western world in the early 20th century. However, the “internationalization of export,” characterized by publishing in English, began in continental Europe during the 1950s and 1960s and expanded to East Asia and Latin America after the 1990s. Currently, Chinese social science research is at a pivotal stage, transitioning from the “internationalization of import” to the “internationalization of export.” To navigate this transformation, a balance must be struck between publishing in Chinese and publishing in English. As a significant contributor to social

Key words: disciplinary construction, internationalization, indigenization, multilingualism, social sciences, center-periphery