John Homan wrote, regarding the ongoing discussion regarding narrative
research:
"so much for objectivity!!"
Which left me thinking, "Huh?" I can't tell, John, whether you're being
facetious or not, but: precisely, so much for objectivity. It is high time
to move beyond objectivity in disability research (as many have) and to
celebrate instead the strength of subjectivity in research. If we take for
granted (as I do) that all research is inherently subjective, passing
through our own lived filters, then striving for objectivity is a lost,
futile (er) objective.
I've been a little lost myself, frankly, in some of this discussion. I'm not
seeing the lack of value in narrative research that some have proposed. In
some sense all qualitative/critical/ethnographic research is a kind of
narrative research (sometimes dressed in different clothes). I believe
narrative research offers a valuable tool for disability researchers,
including and especially those approaching things from/through the social
model (look, it's subjective again! Cool!).
Phil Smith
Vermont Self-Determination Project
103 South Main Street, Weeks Building
Waterbury, VT 05671-1601
1-888-268-4860 (Toll Free in Vermont)
(802) 241-2617
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
fax (802) 241-1129
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|