Dados is one of the most widely-read social sciences journals in Latin America. Created in 1966, it publishes innovative works, originating from academic research, by Brazilian and foreign authors. Edited by IESP-UERJ, it aims to reconcile scientific rigor and academic excellence with an emphasis on public debate based on the analysis of substantive issues of society and politics.
Dados vol. 33 n. 1 Rio de Janeiro 1990
Abstract
Without intending to be either exhaustive or fully representative, the article examines some recent literature in Brazilian sociology to assess the nature of the sources upon which this science relies. The topic is approached in two steps: some of the characteristics of empirical work in classical sociology are first recalled and the ways in which Brazilian sociology has innovated these are then discussed. From a theoretical perspective it is concluded that sociology has, in a manner of speaking, 'sociologized' itself in recent years; that is to say, it has become increasingly heedful of the importance of understanding the meaning that actors attribute to their own actions, to the interactive systems in which they participate, and to the conduct of the other actors with which they are involved. Looking at the question from a more practical perspective, a generalized preference for virgin data is noted, along with a certain disdain for the recovery or re-use of data already employed by other researchers. Lastly, this assessment of modern Brazilian sociology reveals an overriding taste for sources of a historical and/or qualitative nature and an equal distaste for reliance on primary or secondary statistical sources.
Fontes Pouco Convencionais na Sociologia Brasileira - Uma avaliação da Produção Recente
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