O 'REALLABOR' NO CONTEXTO BRASILEIRO

SERIA ESSE O FUTURO DA PESQUISA CIENTÍFICA?

Abstract

The origin of the term ‘reallabor’ is German and translates as ‘real laboratory’. German sociologist Ulrich Beck is credited with creating this concept. He proposed ‘reallabor’ as a social research approach that integrates theory and practice, science and society, and experimentation and transformation. Although this approach to social sciences has international origins, it was from its mode of operation that we found that similar work has been developed in Brazil. Thus, we have our hypothesis: this approach, internationally recognized as innovative, has also been developed in Brazil, representing the future of scientific research. From this, we observed the need for further studies to answer the following guiding questions: (a) what is reallabor and what does it aim for? (b) what is similar being developed in Brazil? and (c) what has the University of Cruz Alta developed in a similar way related to the ‘Real Life Laboratory’? From this, we established that our main objective is: to explore and understand 'reallabor' and also, to verify what is being developed within these same parameters in Brazil and, specifically, at the University of Cruz Alta -RS, where the authors have institutional ties, which provides us with a more solid basis to explore the subject properly. We intend to answer the guiding questions and achieve the proposed objectives, subdividing the research into three moments that follow the same sequence of construction of the questions, for a better visualization of knowledge. Our research adopts a qualitative approach and uses a combination of specific methods to achieve its objectives. With regard to the general method, we employ the hypothetical-deductive technique. In relation to the research objectives, we opted for the descriptive method. As for the procedure, our approach was predominantly bibliographic. We analyzed approximately 20 articles, all written in foreign languages ​​(German and English), and translated these materials. We also carried out research on websites, especially 'Research Rabbit' to collect available information that demonstrated work developed in Brazil that had adopted the 'reallabor' approach. Finally, we justify the study by the intrinsic need to explore and understand this technique of doing research and verify its development in the Brazilian context, as well as, from this, we understand it is necessary to challenge development paradigms, making this knowledge accessible and encouraging other researchers to explore this topic in their institutions.