Resumo:
The field of Information Science, in its constant evolution, seeks ways to understand and promote information mediation not only as a facilitator mechanism for the process of sharing and socialization of knowledge but also as a driver of social emancipation and the strengthening of the lifeworld. In this context, this doctoral research turned to the dialogue that has been established between the theoretical and empirical studies of information mediation and the theory of communicative action by Jürgen Habermas, aiming to identify and analyze the existence of points of convergence between Habermas's theory of communicative action and the theoretical approaches to information mediation. Starting from the premise that, despite fundamental differences, the theoretical-empirical approaches to information mediation and Habermas's theory of communicative action share points of convergence that demonstrate a common commitment to the emancipation of subjects, the bibliographic method was adopted to, from a hermeneutic criticalinterpretative process, in the Habermasian perspective, proceed with an analysis of the theoretical-conceptual approaches to information mediation and Habermas's theory of communicative action. The specific objectives of the research were to identify Information Science researchers whose studies have addressed information mediation from emancipatory perspectives of social subjects; to identify the central themes of the studies on information mediation that may represent points of convergence with the theoretical approaches to information mediation and Habermas's theory of communicative action; to check among the raised points of convergence, the central axes of the theoretical approaches of these studies on information mediation that are closest to the concepts and constitutive principles of the Habermasian theoretical approach, representing a tendency and possibility of dialogue between them. The results of this analysis revealed that information mediation, aligned with Habermasian principles of communicative interaction, promotion of critical thinking, and active and rational participation, can significantly contribute to the process of emancipation by facilitating access to information, encouraging reflective and dialogical interaction, thus providing the conditions for the appropriation of information and the construction and re-signification of knowledge, concluding that information mediation plays a fundamental role in strengthening social cohesion and promoting a more democratic and participative society.
