Abstract

AVILA, Rodrigo Fortes de; MATOS, Maria Teresa Navarro de Britto  and  RENDON ROJAS, Miguel Ángel. Theorizing the theory: a debate on archival epistemological independence. Investig. bibl [online]. 2021, vol.35, n.86, pp.13-28.  Epub Aug 01, 2021. ISSN 2448-8321.  https://doi.org/10.22201/iibi.24488321xe.2021.86.58228.

The discussions that took place in the American Archivist and Archivaria between 1982 and 1999, are hereby analyzed and reflect the struggles of the Archival Science for finding its identity as an autonomous science. It is possible to establish here three epistemological shifts. The first one points to the theory as an obstacle, criticizing the uselessness of scientific generalizations, and its search reveals more a need for social recognition of the profession. The second one refers to the theory as a foundation of scientificity which recognizes essential properties as linked to the nature of its object of study and the need to study and protect these. The last of them approaches the theory as transgression, that is, as a transformation tool that must produce indispensable changes in the development of the field and consider this a way to release the restrictions imposed by tradition.

Keywords : Archives; Archives Studies; Epistemology; Theory.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )