Dear John,
what do you mean exactly by objectivity? No science is ever truly 'objective' if
by this term you mean a definite division between the researcher and the
researched (be it people or the natural world!). That is, of course, only my
humble opinion, but I am open to discussion :)
Alessandra
John Homan wrote:
> so much for objectivity!!
>
> rgds John
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, May 28, 2000 2:22 AM
> Subject: Narrative research discussion
>
> > Hi everyone!
> >
> > It seems to me that the method of analysis, which reflects the
> researcher's
> > ideological stance) is a factor in the meaningfulness and usefulness of
> > narratives of disabled persons. Is the intent of the researcher to
> present
> > the narrative within a medical model so that the interpretation becomes
> one
> > of "person overcoming tragedy" or does the researcher use the social
> model
> > or variant thereof to analyze the shared story with an emphasis on the
> > contextual?
> >
> > Best,
> >
> > Beth
> >
> >
> > Beth Omansky Gordon
> > The George Washington University
> > Washington, DC, USA
> >
> > Anita wrote:
> > I am getting a feeling that there is a need for a fundamental
> > clarification regarding use of narratives as a tool of social inquiry and
> > an end in themselves. If the real solution lies within us and if personal
> > is political, then where is the harm in listening to the voices of the
> > fellow disabled. I will stand corrected, but aren't we assuming that the
> > social model will not or has not posed problems of its own. Aren't we
> > referring to a classical issue of subjectivity vs collectivity and the
> > problem of engaging and negotiating with one at the cost of another. Like
> > individual realities have the potential of taking us backward by virtue
> of
> > their variation, the nuances of social realities may pose the same
> > dilemma. For a disabled woman and academician from the third world an
> > absolute stance is rather confusing.
> >
> > There is so much in this short message that resonates extremely
> powerfully.
> > Although I'm not usually given to 'me too' messages, I want to say that
> I'm
> > absolutely behind Anita's thinking. What is particularly important for me
> > is her final comment because the third world is the Majority World and we
> > in the West are intent on colonising it instead of learning from it. When
> I
> > was working on my book 'Deaf Transitions', one of the narratives I
> included
> > was from a Deaf, Indian Hindu woman. She too was struggling with absolutes
> > because she was being forced (by Western approaches to deaf education)
> into
> > an absolute way of thinking that incorporated only Deaf and hearing. This
> > did not resonate with her cultural history. It interests me that when the
> > book was reviewed, as its author, I was criticised for not toeing the line
> > in relation to 'accepted theories' and models of 'deaf' development and
> the
> > life course. Whose theories and models, I wonder? Isn't this one way in
> > which narratives are censored? I think most absolutes are a product of
> > cherry-picking narratives that fit 'expert knowledge'. That is why we
> don't
> > like individual narratives. They destabilise 'accepted' ways of thinking.
> >
> > Best wishes
> >
> >
> > Mairian
> >
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