Abstract

Seminar by Johann Michel and presentation of his book  translated into Portuguese.  Johann Michel is a french philosopher working on "Sociology of Self", under a narrative and self-representation perspective.

Programme

11h00 – Conference Narrative as a common technique of self-interpretation by Johann Michel (Université de Poitiers / IUF / EHESS)
Comments: Elsa Lechner (CES) | Moderator: Gonçalo Marcelo (CECH, Univ. de Coimbra / Católica Porto Business School)

12.30 – Book release of  Sociologia do Si by Johann Michel (Porto: Lema d’Origem, 2016) with the presence of the author, translator  (Hugo Barros) and the author of the Portuguese edition's forward  (Gonçalo Marcelo)

Abstract: Narrative as a common technique of self-interpretation
Interpretation is both a specific domain in the theory of knowledge (hermeneutics) and a technique suitable for use in the social sciences, and particularly in sociology. Interpretation can be applied to texts, actions and so forth. The aim of this presentation is to delve on the use of interpretation as a common, ordinary technique to establish a relationship with the world or with ourselves when we are faced with problematic, traumatic events. More specifically, we will focus on narrative as a specific type of common technique of interpretation used by individuals and groups seeking to inscribe shocking events in the story of their lives. However, for such a process to be possible, several conditions of possibility (both social and cultural) need to be met, and we will address these conditions in this presentation.

Bio note:
Johann Michel é cientista social e filósofo. Formado em ciência política, é doutorado em filosofia política pela EHESS (Paris). Atualmente, é Professor na Universidade de Poitiers, investigador no CEMS (EHESS) e membro do Institut Universitaire de France. Os seus temas de pesquisa centram-se na sociologia biográfica, políticas memoriais, epistemologia das ciências sociais e hermenêutica (sobretudo no seguimento dos trabalhos de Paul Ricoeur). O seu mais recente livro publicado intitula-se Quand le social vient au sens. Philosophie des sciences historiques et sociales (Bruxelles: Peter Lang, 2015). Em português, tem traduzidos os livros Ricoeur e os pós-estruturalistas (2015) e A sociologia do si (2016), ambos pela editora Lema d’Origem.