Abstract

FALLETI, Valeria F. Problems of knowledge construction in Social Sciences - A critical look at the classic notions of ideal type and representation. univ.humanist. [online]. 2006, n.62, pp.71-90. ISSN 0120-4807.

This article proposes a reflection about different concepts that have been used in the realm of social sciences to address the construction of knowledge. That theoretical process is inevitably related to both methodological and epistemological aspects of the endeavor of sociological inquiry. In this work, I first take the traditional Weberian notion of "ideal type" as a point of departure and later propose an alternative vision based on the Maffesoli´s ideas of "empathy" and "underground centrality". Secondly, I consider the deconstructive approach by Derrida to the idea of "representation" in order to underscore the limits of that notion. Finally, I attempt to address the notion of "social imaginary" by Castoriadis as a valuable concept to be recovered in the enterprise of sociological research. That concept is important because it combines two central components: on the one hand, an imaginary component that allows us to better understand social creation and change, and on the other hand, a functional component that helps us to apprehend institutional continuity and reproduction.

Keywords : Social knowledge; representation; social imaginary; underground centrality.

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