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
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