Serendipidade e etnografia
reflexão epistemológica
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15448/1984-7289.2026.1.46573Palavras-chave:
Ciência, Conhecimento, Serendipidade, Abdução, EtnografiaResumo
A serendipidade é praticamente uma inevitabilidade da investigação científica, sobretudo no campo das ciências sociais e quando se privilegiam abordagens qualitativas. No entanto, a sua relevância epistemológica ainda é pouco considerada. Proponho-me, por isso, a debatê-la no âmbito da pesquisa etnográfica. A reflexão assume o formato de ensaio e é guiada no sentido de compreender as propriedades da serendipidade, as inferências de cariz abdutivo que pressupõe, a sua intrínseca associação à etnografia e as principais manifestações que assume no decurso do trabalho de campo. Desta reflexão é possível salientar que a abordagem etnográfica é, simultaneamente, condição e expressão de serendipidade, fomentando imprevistos, descobertas e raciocínios de pendor indutivo-abdutivo conducentes a possibilidades de interpretação plausíveis até então não equacionadas. No exercício da etnografia no terreno, a serendipidade não se circunscreve apenas a situações estritamente cognitivas e também se manifesta noutros âmbitos que condicionam a análise e a conceptualização.
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