Resumo

Without claiming exhaustivity, this contribution aims at situating « life stories » (writing about oneself, autobiographical documents) within the field of the human and social sciences through some historical referential points and some disciplinary orientations.
Born during the age of Enlightment in relation with the notion of historicity, the « scientific » interest for life history is expanding more specifically in the works of Wilhelm Dilthey who turns biographical comprehensibility into the understanding model of the spiritual sciences (Geisteswissenschaften) (1883). This epistemological and methodological foundation is at the origin of the first developments of the German sociology (Weber, Simmel), before inspiring the works of the American qualitative sociology (Chicago School) and European sociology afterwards (biographical approach and method of life stories from the seventies onwards). At the same period, the appeal to life stories within the field of education appears as a way for the subject to gain access to his own historicity and to empower him in his own education.

The present contribution gives an account of the developing trend of the « biographical research » that aims specifically at exploring the processes involved in the construction of the individuals within the social space.

Nota biográfica

Professor in Education at the University of Paris 13/Nord, Christine Delory-Momberger co-directs the Research Centre EXPERICE (Paris 13/Nord-Paris 8/Vincennes-Saint-Denis), where she coordinates the team on Education, socialization, and biography.
Her work draws from the hermeneutic school of biographical research that tries to understand the place of biography in the construction of the social subject along the processes of education, and socialization. Also, it looks at the forms and significations of biographic constructions according to different times and societies. Today, her special interest focus on the interactions existing between social, economic, professional environments of contemporary western societies: individual biographic constructions, biographical skills bridging social practices, contexts.

Christine Delory-Momberger is the founder Director of the international journal for biographical research  Le Sujet dans la Cité, President of the International Association for Life Stories (ASIHVIF) and author of many books and articles on  Biographical research.


Nota: Atividade no âmbito do Núcleo de Estudos sobre Humanidades, Migrações e Estudos para a Paz (NHUMEP)