For a decolonial social epistemology

Abstract

The visualization of Information Science as a postmodern science must aim at overcoming borderline dominant models,
surpassing simplistic methodological impasses, and covering complex phenomena. In this regard, the article is inserted
in the epistemological discussions, selecting social epistemology and decolonial thought as its themes. Its purpose is to
identify the possible convergences between decolonial thought and social epistemology and, based on that, to propose,
in an essay-like way, a decolonial social epistemology. In the methodological aspect, this is an exploratory, qualitative, and
bibliographic research. The technical procedure for the analysis of the bibliography took place using a non-probabilistic
approach, by judgment. The main result of this article is the construction of a historical and epistemological panorama
that makes possible the approximation of thematics that, although produced in different contexts and interests, converge
in a common objective: that of constituting a social, democratic epistemic field and that does not disregard the different
subjects of knowledge. Thus, the reflections that combine the proposal of social epistemology with the decolonial thought
or movement may bring theoretical panoramas and perspectives closer to the professional practice and research aimed at the
21st century informational context.