ARCHIVES: SOCIAL DYNAMICS IN TRANSFORMATION

Abstract

This article is based on a historical stratum before and after the consolidation of archival science as a scientific field. Through a critical reflection between classical and contemporary authors, it analyzes the relationships and tensions that cross the archival field throughout its existence. From a theoretical approach, it reflects on archives as social constructions. It argues that this dimension is sometimes covered by the stimuli of the positivist current, which presents them as free of social or political influence. By acting as mediators of memory and agents of meaning, archivists become active in the dispute over what should be remembered or forgotten. In conclusion, archives are social dynamics in transformation based on situated and politically implicated processes, requiring the archivist to act ethically, critically, and attentively to changes.