On July 1st, 2016 the workshop ‘Social Studies of the Economy in Latin America’ took place at the Science and Technology Studies Department, University College London. The meeting convened a number of scholars who work at the intersec- tion of social studies of the economy, STS, sociology and anthropology of eco- nomic knowledge. The workshop aimed to discuss leading research that offers a close-up examination of economic life. In particular, it was oriented to ethno- graphic and historical research that sheds light on the multiple ways in which the economy, culture and technology intersect, and in which economic subjects and objects are constituted and performed. The kinds of research objects discussed in the workshop go beyond the usual economic entities and processes often examined by Latin American scholars in the social studies of the economy, such as markets, competition, money or fi- nance. Instead, most of the participants investigate assemblages of lateral epis- temic objects which play a critical but relatively humble role in the orchestration of the economy, e.g. indexes, databases, economic news and regulatory figures. The research presented aimed to show how the production of different types of knowledge relates to the constitution, contestation and regulation of economic forms and processes, which are considered to be more central in public debate – e.g. inflation, competition, economic prospects and customers. Broadly speaking, three kinds of epistemic objects were discussed in the meeting: public numbers, private numbers and economic news. ECONOMIC NEWS First, Heredia and Daniel, and Undurraga discussed the role of economic news, and the press more generally, in the production of public knowledge and the mak- ing of the economy. Mariana Heredia and Claudia Daniel take a long-term historical view of the way in- flation is publically framed and understood in contemporary Argentina. Analysing the way price increases were discussed in the news of the two major newspapers (La Nación and Clarín) between the 1940s and 1990s, they distinguish two clear periods. From the 1940’s to the 1970s, inflation was presented as a social and political phenomenon, in which social leaders representing workers and branch industries played key roles in disputing state involvement in price control. These national newspapers took clear ideological standpoints on inflation, standpoints reflecting different conceptions of the economy. While La Nación represented a liberal vision, Clarín promulgated a more interventionist approach. Notably, in- flation during this period was an important problem for liberals, and particularly so during unstable years. Since the mid-1970s, however, inflation has not only continued at three digit levels, they argue, but its framing has also changed. As experts in economics were increasingly called to give their professional advice and opinion, ideological cleavages began to fade. Inflation came to be considered THE CENTRALITY OF LATERAL ECONOMIC OBJECTS: EXAMPLES FROM LATIN AMERICA The workshop ‘Social Studies of the Economy in Latin America’ convened research that offers a close-up ex- amination of economic life in Latin America from an STS perspective. In particular, it discussed ethnographic and historical investigations that focus on assemblages of lateral epistemic objects, that is, objects which play a critical but relatively humble role in making the economy, e.g. indexes, databases, news and regulatory figures. Tomás Undurraga, Tomás Ariztía & Gustavo Onto 24 EASST Review 2016 I Vol 35 I No 3