 |
 |
Hi Gerda Not sure if this will help but in brief: “reasoning” is a catch-all term for whatever happens in the heads of a) the intended beneficiaries or b) stakeholders who have to implement, or are affected by, the intervention that ‘determines’ their response to the opportunities that the program provides. “Reasoning” can be at the individual level and/or at the collective (e.g. organisation or community) level. And I’d argue that yes, it can be examined through ethnographic and various other forms of research – either because it is conscious (albeit it may be a more ‘emotional’ than ‘reasoned’ response); or because it can be brought to consciousness through questioning; or because it can be observed and interpreted in the things that people say and do (or don’t say and do) in response to the opportunities. The latter, however, need to be interpreted in the light of local culture, which influences/shapes/determines the meanings that various stakeholder groups ascribe to the opportunities, the way that they interpret them, and therefore respond to them. NB Also ‘communities’ may not be homogeneous and there may be different patterns of response from men or women, adults or children, poorer or richer, different castes or whatever (again, depending on the culture and its structures) –so you’d usually be investigating patterns of response, rather than single responses. Cheers Gill From: Realist and Meta-narrative Evidence Synthesis: Evolving Standards [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Gerda Warnholtz Sent: Tuesday, 5 February 2013 9:00 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Just a question... Hi everybody! This is me again with a question: Dr. Pawson and many other authors state that "complex social interventions are programmes which offer the target audience some sort of resource, and that they require a reasoned response on behalf of the participants to that resource." My concrete question is, if this REASONED response refers also (and always) to the beneficiaries of a given programme or project: I am thinking of communities who are benefited by social development programmes, and which are seldom taken into account, both, before and after the intervention takes place. Moreover, many of these social groups lack the literacy and possibility of argument to contribute a reasoned response. It is evident that these communities could be capable of responding consciously to the programme, if they would have the elements to do so... I can certainly understand there is a response, but the question is, if it is reasoned (conscious), and to what extent? If the response is not conscious, can it be understood and studied by means of ethnographic research? Best wishes to you all! Gerda _____ Mtra. Gerda Warnholtz Evalaución de Programas de Desarrollo Social y Políticas Públicas Turismo Sostenible y Protección y Rescate del Patrimonio Cultural