Dear Norman,
I think the work you are doing is highly valuable, and can be a great
contribution not only to make the aborginian culture more available and
understandable to those who have not experienced it close-up, but also as
an aid for gaining respect for the aborginian culture among other cultures
within and outside Australia.
From the institutionalization of research into traditions you may also make
a contribution by showing the value of a specific approach to scientific
investigation that the natural scientists still have trouble accepting as
equally worthy: The grounded theory approach (See A. Strauss and J Corbin,
1990, Basics of Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory Procedures and
Techniques, Sage Publications, Newbury Park, CA). They refer to earlier
work, included their own early theorizing on the humanistic tradition of
scientific investigation, that can be traced back to early Greek antiquity.
Their approach is inductive, based on initial natural setting observations
of cases, phenomena, etc. open-mindedly, tying observations to area of
study relevant theories as the research process advances, with the aim to
produce new theory that fits the natural state of people studied, rather
than starting with theory and fit the observations to the theory (deductive
approach). I believe that is what you are doing from a methodological point
of view. Good hunting for new truths and understanding!
Bryn
Brynjulf Tellefsen
Visiting Professor
School of Management Information Systems
Edith Cowan University
Churchlands, WA 6018, Australia
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
Mobile phone: +61-8-403 907 440 (0 instead of 8 if domestic call)
Office phone: +61-8-9273 8832
Home phone: +61-8-9287 1210
Associate Professor
Department of Technology and Knowledge Management
Norwegian School of Management - BI
Elias Smiths vei 15
N-1302 Sandvika, NORWAY
Phone office: +47-67557191
Fax office: +47-67557780
Phone home: +47-22149697
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