Os sentidos de competência no trabalho: discurso da mídia e discurso acadêmico

Abstract

This article aims to deal with the notion of competence in prescriptive discourses related to the theme work. Our object of study is the discourses that speak about the way of behaving at work and of  thinking  about work. Considering the notions of interdiscourse, discursive field and space, as proposed by Maingueneau (1984/2005), we analyzed discourses that do not hold among themselves a pre-established dialog, but circulate in a given conjuncture that allows the delimitation of a certain discursive field. This field institutes a discursive space that encompasses at least two positionings: (i) texts constituting the positioning 1, formed by discourses that circulate in the media, here restricted to copies of the magazine Você S/A and (ii) prescriptive texts characteristic of the positioning 2, which belong to the academic knowledge domain, in this moment circumscribed to one scientific article approaching the ergological focus (Schwartz, 1997). It is possible to say that in the space shared by these two positionings, there is a struggle: while the media considers competence as something that is already settled, and, therefore, not questionable, the reflection proposed by Schwartz assumes a critical perspective concerning work in general and the notion of competence in particular. In this sense, the articulation between Schwartz’ reflections andthe conceptions of competence identified in the media discourse brought to light a non-explicit polemic in the magazine whose pretension to univocality assumes the inexistence of a possible counter-discourse.