Espaço, identidade e poder: esboço de uma teoria morfogenética e morfostática para a sociologia das organizações

Abstract

This thesis falls, ontologically and epistemologically, in the perspective of critical realism. The later proposes the reclaiming of (the ontological dimension of) reality (which Bhaskar called intransitive one) and its repercussions on the epistemological dimension (or transitive one) of reality, which deals with the possibility of knowledge and the conditions for its occurrence. This framework provides, in social theory, one way to address the social ontology and the nature of the relationship between agency and structure, which places the discussion of the structuring process of collective action and its outcome in terms of developing an "entity" socially real. Based on the state of the art of studies on organizations as well as theories about the category "collectives" in the literature of social theory, and in particular in the realist social theory, we identified a double gap: (1) studies on organizations there is a lack of coherence and cumulative knowledge of the field, which is marked by a deep scattering theories and currents driven by distinct research traditions. Nevertheless, all these traditions have in common their affiliation to the philosophical paradigm of scientific positivism; (2) neither social theory in general nor realist social theory produced an integrative and coherent report to the organization category. Thus, it remains to be done a specific report that called for attacking the problem of organization (structured social groups), as suggested by Elder-Vass (2010). Aiming to address efforts to better understand this issue, then, the objective this thesis was to identify the generative structures and its trends (causal powers), as well as the circumstances under which they are activated (causal mechanisms) that enable the existence and emergence of organizations as real collective entities. Methodologically this study was conducted in a form of a theoretical research (ECO, 2001, p.11), which was supported by analytical procedures for the collection and processing of data hermeneutic character. As a result, we identified the existence of three generative structures: space, identity and power. These structures involves different components that are manifested in specific modes of reality (material, social and ideal, respectively), whose the process of framing and mounting, identification and differentiation, and delegation and representation (respectively) lead to interactions among individuals purchasing patterns and structural change, morphological and causal, assigning different causal powers of each of these stages: approximation and aggregation, which was called “moment 1” (M1); the creating an unit (exterior and irreducible to the individual) and cohesion of different entities, called “moment 2” (M2); and, finally, the establishment of a command and ability to deliberate intervention in social reality, at institutional, called “moment 3” (M3). The three summarized moments are related each one by proposing a theoretical framework of the structure of collective action in a morphogenetic way. Although this model applies specifically to the analysis of collective action and has not been empirically validated, its original contribution lies in the fact provide the development of a theoretical framework sufficiently broad and simultaneously specific for the analysis of organizations, in particular, and collective action, in general. This is true especially when we add its interface with the ontological and epistemological orientation of critical realism. Empirically, this proposal provides an accurate account of the integration of micro and macro levels of reality, through the realization of specific organizations and institutions in mesossocial level. The correct knowledge of this level can be applied to intervention in reality.