Agencia investigativa y reflexividad crítica: una revisión de las prácticas de posicionalidad en investigación cualitativa
Resumen
La noción de posicionalidad representa uno de los giros epistemológicos clave en las Ciencias Sociales desde los años setenta, al problematizar las condiciones sociales, históricas y biográficas que median las relaciones entre los investigadores y participantes frente a la neutralidad epistemológica positivista y funcionalista. Su uso ha experimentado una expansión significativa, lo que exige un análisis sistemático de la producción existente. Este estudio examina cómo se conceptualiza y aplica la posicionalidad en investigaciones cualitativas recientes (2018-2023) con el objetivo de identificar contextos de producción y ejes analíticos que orientan su uso. Se realizó una revisión sistemática de acuerdo con los lineamientos PRISMA, combinada con una metasíntesis cualitativa. Se seleccionaron 62 artículos de Scopus y Web of Science que reflexionan sobre la posicionalidad desde prácticas concretas de investigación. El análisis reveló el predominio de estudios desde el Norte Global (Reino Unido 27,4 %, Canadá 12,9 %), con un enfoque interdisciplinario (30,6 %) y una vinculación con la formación doctoral. Se identificaron dos ejes analíticos principales: la dinámica Insider-Outsider, que ha evolucionado hacia enfoques reflexivos y hermenéuticos según los cuales la posición del investigador se entiende como fluida y contextualizada; y la perspectiva interseccional, que analiza cómo las identidades sociales entrelazan dinámicas de poder. Los hallazgos evidencian una tensión fundamental entre la conceptualización del poder como fluido y negociable en interacciones microsociales versus la influencia de estructuras sistémicas que enmarcan estos encuentros. La centralidad de la identidad en las reflexiones sobre posicionalidad, aunque valiosa para analizar microagencias, puede velar la incidencia de jerarquías institucionales y dependencias de financiamiento que configuran la agencia del investigador. La revisión expone la necesidad de profundizar la reflexión crítica sobre las condiciones estructurales que posibilitan o limitan la agencia investigativa, incluyendo el capitalismo académico y las geopolíticas del conocimiento.Descargas
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