Imaginary of a Discursive Community: Social Representations of the 'Licenciatura' Thesis according to Teachers and Students

Abstract

In this article, we analyze the social representations of professors and students of the Sociology degree at the University of Costa Rica on the writing process of the undergraduate thesis. From an ethnographic perspective, a model is proposed that allows to understand the imaginary of a discursive community. The thesis as a discursive genre empowers students to enter their academic community. However, this rite of passage does not discuss its writing process (causes, literacy strategies, writing problems, etc.) or the different social actors who intervene in it. Also, the approaches on academic writing of the last decades are reviewed to reflect on the practices of reading and writing that are developed in the university classrooms.