judy writes
>Katherine, diane, as I understood it, the hard part of developmental
>research is the first part -- creating the conditions under which
>participants in an activity are motivated in some major way to radically
>change the way they do things.
this assumes quite a lot - isn't it more likely that the conditions are
always present, but concealed by traditional practice, institutional
ideology, discourse, and so on? meaning, the "conditions" are not
"created" but are revealed as always-already present?
>That would require familiarity w/ and trust
>of the external researcher whose actions bring to the surface the Big
>Contradiction that explains the prevailing cycles of activity & the
>different tensions/problems that everyone sees; and yes, diane, the
>duration of the project and number of analyses performed and shared seem
>central to this stage-setting.
hm. again, in my experience, the Big Contradictions come from within, not
from an other's deliberate attempts to "induce" such a recognition - i
always thought that a serious understanding of writings by folks such as
Foucault, or Althusser (biographies and all) would point towards more
revelation about practice than any particular manipulation - reading
Perkins-Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper," or Kafka's "Metamorphosis," can
point towards Foucault, Althusser, and other institutional criticisms -
understanding Freud, or Judith Butler, as well - in my experience, it is
through understanding the available interpretations of social systems and
structures that the Big Contradictions
emerge.
as such, a duration is conditioned by learning, not methods. ooh. radical!
ha ha
>
>My questions concern the stage-setting steps of the process, but I agree
>the springboard metaphor has potential as the moment where
>individual/collective terms seem least to be in concert and most in need
>to
>be concerted.
again, the idea that a single individual can "orchestrate" the Big
Contradiction strikes me as Highly Unlikely. the idea that a coordinated
concert will produce the conflicts that lead to learning is also mythical,
really, since it is conflict that produces conflict - a tidy methodology
will, invariably, construct a tidy interpretation - regardless of the
collective activity.
to immerse in the collective activity, i'd suppose a large amount of
research-control must be given up in order to really be receptive to the
processes of an activity. don't you think? i mean, in order to be "true"
to CHAT?
>
>
>But IF the stage were effectively set, then springing towards a better
>understanding rather than out of the playing field seems probable.
again, the idea that one could "set the stage" for change is, to me,
wildly presumptuous.
it's impossible to know what will "set it off" so to speak.
by the same token, it is entirely possible to participate in an activity
where the ambition is to "set it off" so long as the process remains the
condition of activity,
and not the researcher's agenda. know what i mean?
>
>
>As for the meta-discourse, even if the language is introduced by the
>researchers who are outsiders, language that helps one to see is generally
>seen by users as valuable.... Once the stage is set, practicability
>quickly
>becomes the secondary condition under which the system moves forward in
>the
>new ways.... Just a thought.
>
hm. my thinking suggests that as people learn new languages (say, please
say "THEORY") the interpretations of that, in terms of significance and
meaning, emerge - these emergent interpretations of theory can become the
condition of change,
because it entails self-reflection.
frankly, i don't understand how anyone can "study" Foucault and not become
partially insane, if only because of the inherent contradiction of
institutionalizing the institutional critique, silencing the very
articulation in an effort to articulate the silence, so to
Wittgensteinian-esquely infer,
(ahem) -
IDEAS change people's perspectives about how they see and do things,
languages alter the ways people speak about things,
and it seems to me that theories, as ideas and languages, offer any
activity a valuable point of departure as well as a critical investigation
into what "practice" engages.
diane
a.k.a. theory slut!!
"If you'll excuse me now, I'd like to be alone with my sandwich."
Homer
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