What a popular topic, Chris.
Why is it of such interest I wonder?
In the adult learning postgrad units I coordinated, it always needed some
effort to encourage students (especially from the military) to write in
first person. Some students would even write along the lines of "what Army
considers is good practice"!
At issue was really acknowledgment of the kind of evidence presented. If it
was personal experience and reflective inquiry then why not use "I"? Third
person is associated with trying to objectify or create some overarching
framework and power for the researcher, or in the students' case what seemed
to be an attempt maintain a collective self/identity as "Army".
"We" is more difficult: Fine for a team of researchers, but problematic when
we begin to consider our world, as on this list - even more difficult in
cross gendered or inter-ethnic situations where power is at stake and we
presume to speak on behalf of the circumscribed section of humanity. "We"
infers an intersubjectivity, a commonality of understanding that others may
not actually share.
I long for the day when we can agian use "we" for after all what is a world
without intersubjectivity or love?
Paul Reader
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