Teoria crítica e pesquisa

Abstract

In his book "Tem razão a Administração?" Fernando Guilherme Tenório shows that the term Critical Theory was used by Max Horkheimer to establish a difference from the proposal of the Frankfurt School, or the Traditional Theory as he called it. The traditional theory is related to the knowledge based on natural sciences and on the pursuit of general laws, emphasizing empiricism and knowledge to the detriment of action, which is a positivist approach.On the other hand, "critical theory [...] is concerned with exploring the interconnections of social phenomena and observing them in a direct relation with the historical laws of the society studied at that moment" (TENÓRIO, 2016). According to the author, in Brazil the work of Alberto Guerreiro Ramos (1915Ramos ( -1982 was crucial to disseminate the critical and analytical thinking, which proposes the emancipation of individuals based on their understanding of the social relations they are inserted in, as well as the emancipation through the improvement of the individuals' capacity of interpretation. Teaching and research have the role of contributing to such improvements.In the same line of thought, the first article of this issue deals with the analysis of the concepts of public administration and its interface with social management based on Jürgen Habermas' work. The second discusses processes of organizational identification and social identity of administrators of a Brazilian federal university. The third article critically analyzes the Brazilian federal government's policy of Vale-Cultura and its social impacts, and the fourth presents the contribution of the Actor-Network Theory to the field of research on consumption in Brazil, a new perspective of research in this area. The fifth article shows how emotion can also be analyzed in its ideological dimension. Two articles presented in this issue critically analyze the Brazilian scientific production in the areas of people management and labor relations.Regarding the theme of social inclusion and sustainability, the issue brings articles discussing agro-industrial cooperatives and the feasibility of a sustainable management model for crafts in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, aiming at actions of social inclusion. In addition, one of the works presented is a theoretical essay on this subject.