The Imagined Autonomies. Autonomy as a reference of public action in education

This article starts by viewing autonomy of schools as an object of study in the context of the growing social complexity and the process of reconfiguration of the State, bringing the question of social regulation to the fore. After a brief presentation of what are considered the strong points in the construction of autonomy as a reference for public action, a discussion is elaborated with regard to the policies of “reinforcing the autonomy of schools” based on three analytical points: intensification of the reflexivity of social action and articulation of knowledge with regulation; the sociology of risk, the spaces and morphology of decision making; and finally the historicity of public action. To finish with, details regarding the focus of the study are outlined.