Hi Becky,

 

Interesting point. Upon reading this my initial reaction was that I would agree with the possible disjoin between realism and post-modernism that you describe IF you were taking an empirical realist stance.

 

I think that it would be less pronounced if you took a critical realist perspective which, as I understand, accommodates for the possibility of multiple journeys. 

 

If there is anything in this, and there may not be (as my brain is frazzled!), I think this then moves some way toward the on-going Pawson v Porter debate? In essence, the point you raise seems to grapple with the boundaries of the different forms of realism.

 

Maybe these differences are what influenced the differentiation between facts and alternative facts that the Trump administration has recently highlighted, though I doubt such critical reflection goes on!

 

Best wishes,

 

Andy 

 

 

 

Good afternoon,

 

I am thinking about post modernism and realism and how they relate/negate to each other.

 

In some of my work in mental health user involvement in recovery work, people with lived experience of mental health conditions are encouraged to find out for themselves what works for them – the idea that there is an objective reality of mental health recovery, and that there are absolute truths about what works is shied away from in favour of a ‘if it feels good do it’ mentality. 

 

Thinking about this today, it’s making me wonder if the recovery movement in mental health is post-modern?  That they wouldn’t agree there was an absolute truth about ‘what works’, or an objective reality of what a ‘recovery journey’ looks like, but that all versions are equally valid, and ‘true’ if they work for the individual? 

 

This feels quite at odds with a realist stance, which would hold that there is one independent reality, which is knowable, and that we may not get close to knowing all of it all at once, we can make better and better educated guesses….

 

So here’s the question: I can’t believe I am the first person to wonder and want to write about how realism and post modernism relate, or not.  So – do any of you know who’s written about this before, or of any worthwhile pieces I could read? 

 

(I have an awful feeling no one is going to reply to this….!)

 

Yours faithfully

 

Becky

 

Ps I always found postmodernism ultimately unsatisfying for the fact that you end up saying ridiculous things like “It is absolutely true that there are no absolute truths”.  But it was a fun way to idle time in the 90s over drinks in The New Cross Inn.

 

Rebecca Hardwick PhD Student 01392 727408 email [log in to unmask] www.exeter.ac.uk/medicine Institute of Health Research, University of Exeter, South Cloisters, Room 1.41 St Luke's Campus Exeter EX1 2LU   http://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/realisthive/
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