Going critical: inquiry as a power-full process

Stockholm seminar October 2004

Dian Marie Hosking

USBO, University of Utrecht

overview

• Received View of Science (RVS) &– Inquiry, Intervention, Evaluation

– Implicit view of:• processes & relations

• thought style

• Constructivism &– Evaluation (eg 4th generation)

• Constructionism &– Evaluation (eg responsive, appreciative)

Inquiry & the RVS

• Sc as detached observer

• producing ‘data’ &

• objective knowledge

• oriented towards theory

• 1 story dominates – the RVS

• key discourses– Representation & Control

Intervention/change work & the RVS

• separate from inquiry

• uses results from inquiry

• act of ‘change agent(s)’

• who is – more knowing, the expert– designs the intervention & decides what counts

as data

Evaluation & the RVS

• “product evaluation”

• feedback over ‘treatment’ effects

• pre & post ideal

• statistics, validity & reliability…objective knowledge– that is technical, politically neutral

• responsive to the voice of science

RVS: Implicit view of processes & relations

• sequential, linear with feedback

• input – process – outcome

• can be designed, & design reflects

• objective knowledge/expertise

• Sc has responsibility for quality &– reflexivity is an individual act of the Sc

• Subject-Object relations

Implicit ‘thought style’

• (realist or) critical realist

• independently existing entities

• knowable from an ‘outside’ standpoint– but only imperfectly– plausible hypotheses

• language: for representation

• root metaphor: mechanism

constructivism

• Emphasizes the constructive power of mind

• knowledge = imperfect representation

• individual entities:– cognitive processes (intra-indiv)– social processes (inter-indiv)

• thought style = as before

• focus: the sense making of others

Evaluation & constructivism

• eg “Fourth generation evaluation” of Guba & Lincoln

• multiple voices of multiple stakeholders

• discuss & negotiate differences

• correct these & produce a consensus view

• change agent’s job:– Scientist (RVS), facilitator & mediator

relational constructionism• reality:

– (re)constructed in inter-action processes – co-constructed

• neither subjective nor objective but relational

– multiple, local, historical realities – ontology given to processes

• language:– is action, is performative – a local-cultural practice or ‘form of life’

• scientific interests: – what & how of reality construction processes

Assuming relational processes

• de- centers – entities & relations between entities– processes within & between entities

• centers processes of relating – languages - words, pictures, actions, symbols...– to other languages- words, pictures, actions, symbols...

• relational processes make – Self-Other (persons & worlds) as relational unities

• ‘becoming realism’

Inquiry, intervention and evaluation as relational processes • the RVS & critical realism

is just one way of constructing relations

• self & other & relationship – can be (re)constructed in S-O relations – but do not have to be

• other possible ways of relating?

• other possible interests & power relations?

Not S-O relations but…

Processes that are:

• open to possibilities

• open to multiple local realities (as ontologies);

• Reflexive & developmental

• creating ‘power to’ (x power over)

Constructing ‘power to’

• open and appreciative of multiplicity

• performative – not ‘just talk’

• focuses on how we participate including

• multiloging– who gets to participate and how?– how is multiplicity appreciated?

Evaluation as an ongoing multi-voiced process

• evaluation – ‘design’emerges, is ongoing– evaluation activities create reality

• all voices – equal - all experts in local processes• reflexive dialogues about relations, power &

voice, accepting difference, ethics…• interests:

– not just instrumental but also learning & appreciation– how participants experienced the process (not in ‘how

things really are’)