Sociological Methodology Questioned. Debates, Reforms and Continuities in the Teaching of Research Techniques in Sociology Courses in Argentina, between 1958 and 1983.

Between the late 1950s and early 1980s, one of the main conflicts over the meaning of sociology teaching in Argentina was the methodological issue. The differences between groups and perspectives had a clear epistemological basis, since they were based on different theoretical and methodological perspectives to analyse sociological objects. In addition, the crisis of the democratic project at that time, political radicalization and the emergence of the dictatorial government imposed a different teaching agenda. However, one may ask: Did teaching in the different methodology courses follow this linear path? What were the contents of the programs? How were the activities of the methodological subjects articulated with general training? When did the linguistic turn and the appearance of qualitative methodology appear and become consolidated in the courses? Who were the methodology teachers? This paper proposes a reconstruction of the teaching of sociology, through an analysis of the syllabus, activities and productions of the methodology courses that were taught in different Sociology Schools and departments in Argentina since its creation until the 1980s. A hypothesis that guides the work is the persistence of a curricular routine throughout the period, in which certain readings, contents and styles of methodological work did not undergo too many transformations, and only were some recommendations on the use of qualitative tools were lately introduced. In this way, no major changes occurred despite the reforms of the study plans and the renewal of teaching. Not even the emergence of strong criticism of empirical positivism absolutely questioned the imaginary of the scientific sociologist.