"Research with biographical narratives" in cooperation with Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil


Prof. Dr. Hermílio Pereira dos Santos Filho, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) in cooperation with Prof. Dr. Gabriele Rosenthal, Center of Methods in Social Sciences, University of Göttingen, Germany.

Sponsored by: EDITAL FAPERGS/CAPES 06/2018 – Program of Internationalization of the Post-Graduation in the State of Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil

GRANTED VALUE (TOTAL BUDGET) R$ 81.490,00 (ca. € 18.783,44)

Duration: June 2019 – December 2021 (30 Months)


The internationalization project of the Postgraduate Program in Social Sciences of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) proposes a joint work with the Center of Methods in Social Sciences (MZS) of the University of Göttingen, Germany, aiming at strengthening the interpretive paradigm in the Social Sciences, and the dissemination of the methods of biographical narrative interview and biographical case reconstruction. After 30 months of cooperation, a joint research project will be submitted to an international funding agency to further strengthen our partnership.

The little diffusion in Brazil of biographical methods in Sociology, as well as the potential of explaining social phenomena from the biographical approach are the main reasons that move us forward in the development of the biographical paradigm in Brazil through the partnership with the Center of Methods in Social Sciences, especially with Prof. Rosenthal, recognized as one of the main representatives of the biographical approach. To promote training, information and sharing of knowledge in biographical research, the project has as specific objectives: a) two work missions of Prof. Rosenthal and one of Dr. Nicole Witte , researcher at the Center of Methods in Social Sciences at the University of Göttingen, to carry out activities such as public seminars on methods for the generation and analysis of data in biographical research, workshops on biographical narratives that enable the practical application of the principles of a Social Interpretive Research; b) student missions with three PhD students of the Post-Graduation Program in Social Sciences of PUCRS; c) two work assignments of Prof. Dr. Hermílio Santos (PUCRS), both to be held at the Center of Methods in Social Sciences, University of Göttingen, Germany; and d) the preparation and submission of a joint research project to an international funding agency.