Investigación crítica: desafíos y posibilidades

Abstract

This is an analysis of the methodological values & political repercussions of the critical research conducted at universities, with a special focus on the social sciences. These sciences are important because they help with the structure & political management of society, mainly through the development of academic networks for the facilitation of discourse, knowledge, methodology, & new technology. New forms of social control may also owe their existence to the social sciences. The rise of the information society has serious implications for the production & manipulation of scientific knowledge, since a society based on prevailing knowledge may tend toward hegemonic perspectives, stunting the development of critical thought. The article concludes that the best route for avoiding this trap would be for the social sciences to develop better & more thorough methodologies for questioning their own theoretical & institutional fundamentals.