Theoretical-methodological aspects of social representations and their use in nursing

Abstract

Abstract: This text presents the Theory of Social Representations (SR) as a theoretical-methodological possibility for nursing and health care studies. It reviews historical and conceptual aspects of the theory since Moscovici, including discussions about the consensual and reiterated universe. It highlights the formative processes of SRs, which includes the anchoring, objectifying, and applicability of representations as a research method, specifying composition indications of group sampling, collection, and analysis of data. It presents the dissertations and theses of three post-graduate nursing programs that utilize SR as a theoretical-methodological reference. The SRs make possible knowledge construction that attempts to offer meaning to the world, based on comprehension of day-to-day interaction. This evidences its importance as a research approach for health care and, more specifically, nursing.