The Hispanist Network of Fernando Aínsa: Circulation of Ideas in the Academic World

Abstract

This article explores the importance of intellectual networks in the circulation of ideas within the academic sphere, based on the analysis of a specific case: the intellectual network of Fernando Aínsa, literary critic and UNESCO official. The main objective is to examine Aínsa’s role in promoting Latin American literature through his connections with the Hispanic academic community. To investigate his presence in academic institutions, as well as his participation in conferences and publications, the study draws on his archival materials—particularly his correspondence. This epistolary corpus is approached from a socio-historical and cultural perspective, incorporating the paradigm of cultural transfers, the notion of networks, and Bourdieu’s concept of the intellectual field. It is complemented by tools from network analysis, which allow for the representation of actors as nodes and their relationships as edges, thus enabling a structured visualization of their connections. The analysis profiles Aínsa as a cultural mediator and a key figure in the promotion of Latin American writers and literature.