Cinta de Moebio: Revista de Epistemología de Ciencias Sociales

Hernández, Y. (2017) El enfoque morfogenético de Margaret Archer para el análisis de la cultura. Cinta moebio 60: 346-356. doi: 10.4067/S0717-554X2017000300346

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The morphogenetic approach of Margaret Archer for the analysis of culture

Yasmín Hernández-Romero (yasmin_h_r@hotmail.com) Centro Universitario Zumpango, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (Estado de México, México) ORCID: 0000-0002-2235-3611

Abstract

Margaret Archer has elaborated a proposal for the analysis of culture, known as morphogenetic approach, whose axis runs parallel to the classical debate within the social theory on the structure-agency relation. Archer's perspective is shaped by what she calls analytic dualism, which is presented as an alternative to the reductionist stances that emphasize a single dimension (called structure or agency), but her perspective also differs from the underlying integrationist stance in the theory of structuring. To elucidate the morphogenetic approach, the postulates of critical realism are explained, with the ontological and epistemological foundations of which it is linked. The contribution made by Archer proves to be a necessary reference for the approach and explanation of the cultural dynamics because it allows to identify elements to explain why some contradictions produce changes and others do not.

Key words: Margaret Archer, culture, morphogenetic approach, critical realism, analytical dualism.