Addressing Lather's concerns: practicing in research endeavours what is preached in theoretical formulations

Addressing Lather's concerns: practicing in research endeavours what is preached in theoretical formulations

Too often, we who do empirical research in the name of emancipatory politics fail to connect how we do research to our theoretical and political commitments. Yet if critical inquirers are to develop a ‘praxis of the present’, we must practice in our empirical endeavours what we preach in our theoretical formulations. Research which encourages self and social understanding and change-enhancing action on the part of ‘developing progressive groups’ requires research designs that allow us as researchers to reflect on how our value commitments insert themselves into our empirical work. Our own frameworks of understanding need to be critically examined as we look for the tensions and contradictions they might entail. (Lather 1991, p. 80)

[Abstract]:
It is not the intention of this paper to outline my research project per se, as this has been discussed in past papers (see Hawkins, 2007a, 2007b, 2007c). This paper highlights the argument for the importance of making explicit and connecting one’s own personal beliefs and understandings (theories) with one’s research. The intention of this paper is to address Patti Lather’s concerns and examine my own “frameworks of understanding” (Lather, 1991, p. 80) that underpinned my doctoral research project. Specifically, this paper scrutinises my worldview and the philosophies that complement this worldview. These frameworks helped develop “a praxis of the present” (Lather, 1991, p. 80) for the doctoral project. By examining the frameworks and value commitments that underpinned the research project this paper facilitates an understanding of how these frameworks and value commitments have, to use Lather’s (1991) terms, ‘inserted themselves into my empirical work’. As Kincheloe (2003, p. 84-85) states “our understanding of an educational situation depends on the context within which we encounter it and the theoretical frames which the researcher brings to the observation. These ideological frames are the glasses through we see the world.” Consequently, the lens through which I viewed the world was of paramount importance to my research project. Therefore, this paper firstly discusses a participatory worldview (drawn from Denzin & Lincoln, 2005; Laszlo, 1996, 2003; Reason & Bradbury, 2006) through which I perceive the world and my doctoral study. This worldview emphasises participation, relationships and interrelationships. My participatory worldview complements this research project’s methodology of participatory action research and how data was collected and analysed (for extended discussions see Hawkins, 2007a, 2007b). This paper then discusses the philosophical thinking that underpinned this research project. I drew from many philosophical sources to meld together a research philosophy that aligned with my participatory worldview and that supported my research project. This research philosophy values participation, collaboration, respect, caring, empathy, trust and understanding.

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