Abstract
This theoretical essay aims to reflect, in a Brazilian perspective, on the use of the historical method in the social sciences in general, and in the areas of organizational studies and public administration. To do this, based on a bibliographical review, we have chosen to deepen the reflection from the historical-comparative method and life history, within the qualitative paradigm, in order to offer a more specialized perspective on the implications of such methods for the aforementioned subdisciplines. We conclude that the historical method in general, as well as the historical-comparative method and life history method, in particular, promote new forms of understanding reality, by connecting the singular, the global, the objective with the subjective, the past with the contemporary, and generating innovative perspectives for social, organizational and political analyses.
Keywords:
History; Organizational Studies; Public Administration; Comparative History; Life History; Historical Organizational Studies