Abstract

BRIGIDO, Ana María. A sociological theory to analyze educational systems: Margaret Archer's morphogenetic approach. Cuad. Fac. Humanid. Cienc. Soc., Univ. Nac. Jujuy [online]. 2017, n.51, pp.85-97. ISSN 1668-8104.

This contribution has a mainly theoretical objective: to present the general guidelines of Archer's morphogenetic theory. In Argentina, this theory has been poorly developed by sociologists of education, therefore it does not apply to local educational research. Archer defines her morphogenetic approach as a practical, macro-sociological theory pursuing historical-comparative purposes. Unlike the theorists of objectivism and subjectivism in any of its versions, Archer attempts to explain educational change by working on the basis of two fundamental postulates: i) the recovery of agency and structure as two independent categories, that cannot be "conflated" in any way, and have similar importance in the conformation of both objective reality and subjective identity; ii) the incorporation of time as a crucial variable in the process of systemic change. Reference is made to some key issues: Archer's position on classical sociology, her adherence to "Critical Realism", some categories of analysis, and methodological imperatives of the morphogenetic approach. The conclusion is an invitation to meet the challenge of put forward a research program using this theoretical framework

Keywords : M. Archer; Morphogenetic Appoach; Educational Sytems.