CONTRIBUTIONS TO AN EPISTEMOLOGY FOR BIOGRAPHIC RESEARCH IN EDUCATION: STRENGTH OF THEORY AND THE SOCIO-HISTORY CONTEXT

Abstract

In this essay we elaborate a reflection on some characteristics of (auto)biographical research in education. We did it taking as reference authors who have interpreted the reality of contemporary world. Regarding the impacts of the world of labour, we recover important elements of the performance society and the fatigue society of Byun-Chul Han, especially from the author's central arguments, by highlighting the positivity paradigm of contemporary societies and its consequences in life, whether personally or professionally. We advance in the debate seeking to characterize the contemporary educational scenario, highlighting (auto)biographical research as a unique modality in educational research. As main results in favor of the constitution of the epistemological field of educational research, we highlight the following aspects: a) the importance of theory as an instrument for contextualizing contemporary reality and the educational field; b) the sense of affirmation of life, in a moment of “death of education” or “death of the educator”; c) the therapeutic property of the (auto)biographical genre.