“Biographical-emotional trajectories”. Theoretical-methodological notes from a study on hunger in Argentina

Abstract

Since the second decade of the 20th century –although not without interruptions– the Social Sciences have increasingly opted for the biographical method as an inquiry strategy. It constitutes an interpretive process that immerses itself in the lives of the subjects, seeking to produce social knowledge from the understanding of individual experiences. This article aims to establish some theoretical-methodological connections between biographies and emotions, considering the fundamental space that the latter plays in the configuration of life trajectories. After characterizing the biographical method and presenting the particularities of the life stories, the concept of “biographical-emotional trajectories” is proposed, recovering contributions from the Sociology of bodies/emotions. Next, the potential of the biographical method for the investigation of emotions is discussed, reviewing the results of a recent investigation on hunger as an intergenerational problem among the popular sectors of Argentina.