Abstract

This article presents a conceptual reflection and a methodological proposal for studying social inequalities from a comparative perspective. The proposal incorporates a theoretical-conceptual approach to comparative qualitative analysis, reviewing a number of traditions that inform the analysis and production of comparative studies, comparative cases, and the comparative biographical perspective in social science research. First, this reflection makes it possible to formulate, at a conceptual level, a Comparative Biographical Perspective (CBP), which is then reviewed and discussed considering a specific methodological design for comparing cases in Argentina, Chile, and Spain. The empirical analysis of the theoretical model makes it possible to adjust elements of the initial proposal and analyze its scope and possibilities for more wide-ranging studies, thus extending the preliminary experience led by an INCASI research group. In the results section, an analysis is presented of the particularities of the comparative biographical perspective as an articulation of case studies, the biographical approach, and comparative methods. It is asserted that this perspective has the potential to articulate and add tension to the macro-, meso-, and micro-social scales, leading to comparison at four levels: infra-scalar, intra-configurative, inter-scalar, and inter-configurative. The temporal dimension, as a core element of biographical studies, incorporates dynamism and a longitudinal perspective into case follow-up processes. This was mainly revealed by the empirical testing of the model. The piloting of the theoretical model presented in the article -based on the comparative biographical perspective- made it possible to observe differences between countries (cases), social classes (high, middle, and low), and subjects (within each class) in three cities of the three countries selected, shedding light on the macro-, meso-, and micro-social scales, their articulations with temporality, and their possible comparisons in future research. Lastly, the article outlines the potential and limitations of the perspective discussed, emphasizing the challenges that must be addressed to consolidate the comparative analysis proposal advanced and providing theoretical and empirical materials for enriching debate and contributing to the progress of comparative methodology.