Revisitando las ONG como objeto de estudio: consideraciones para una aproximación crítica inicial

Abstract

This work aims to demonstrate the importance of resuming reflection on the subject of NGO´s from the academic research agenda of the Costa Rican social sciences. The first section addresses a number of elements that justify its importance by carrying out a quantitative approach to the phenomenon called "oenegeísmo". There is also an initial approach to the state of the art on the subject, briefly looking at the Costa Rican referents that can be identified in the University of Costa Rica.The second section allows us to recognise the main debates and discussions that prevail on the issue and using this opportunity, we show the problem some of the historical references have, which are traditionally mentioned in the bibliography. In the last section, in order to lay down some foundations to continue the discussion, we present a broad, critical and pluralistic definition of “NGO”, while it reviews (and aims to ponder on) the main trends in classification and grading that are internally known the universe of NGO´s.