Methodological perspectives articulation: group discussion for a reflexive society

Abstract

In the concret, every social research instrument is applied in specific social conditions. Following sociologist as Beck, Giddens and others, contemporary societies are reflexive societies. How to take this in the empirical social research? This work offers a reply to the question using the focus group as reference, specially when the focus group is used in research? This work offers a reply to the question using the focus group as reference, specially when the focus group is used in researchs with the aim to observe the posibilities of consensus. Using the focus group in that way, we have found how some criteria to classify the ways of doing social research doesn’t serve. So, the frontier between structural perspective and dialectic perspective, proposed by Ibañez, disappears. This essay analyse some of the practical consequences in the focus grop if we use it in the reflexive way. Special consideration to focus group dynamic and moderator role.