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Phil wrote:

Lubomir, I don't understand why "It is better to make a decision 
which way we want to go and then, let's go that way without hesitation."

Why can't some of us go one way, some in the other, and then meet 
occasionally to talk about what we've been up to and see if we can 
learn from one another?

As a theory guy who is woefully ignorant of the 'discourse' side of 
things, I have a question:

Are there any papers/books that /do/ in fact discuss the two (theory v
discourse) in some kind of comparative analytic way?

Cheers.
Fil

Hi Phil,

In this case I make a general statement using plural form of the 
pronoun. Actually, it is all about the individual researcher. I am 
paradigmatic purist and believe that it is best if people learn well 
about one paradigm, learn how to work within that paradigm and then 
follow the guidelines. My statement is made in the context that the 
concepts of "theory" and "discourse" imply work in different 
paradigmatic environments.

I have nothing against exploration and I explore myself, shuttling 
between three-four paradigms, but it is a pain every time I switch my 
way of thinking. It is more frustrating than switching languages. 
With languages we have a pretty high percentage of direct 
correspondence of words, while with the paradigms we think with very 
different concepts and the words that stand for them mislead us.

So, let's explore, but also, let's be aware of the difficulties. The 
best thing for me is to get into a paradigm that is optimal my area 
of research and specialize in it. Of course, I need to have pretty 
good impression of some other paradigms in order to understand where 
I am. It is like the old adage that a person who knows only one 
language knows no language. A person needs to know several languages 
to understand his/her language.

Best,

Lubomir