LBST 200
Theodore Abbott
September 16th
In Reflection: An Emerging Researcher
Before I begin, I feel I should preface this assignment with a brief critique of my previous reflection. The piece in question, one that can be found on this site, under the Liberal Studies tab, reads exactly as it should when examined by the author one year following its completion. However, I also remember exactly how I wrote that piece, and distinctly recall ornamenting in such a way, and steeping it in such a tone that I was sure of its ability to be awarded an A. With that in consideration, I am convinced that that reflection completely fails to serve its purpose as an introspective piece of biographical literature, due to its lack of authenticity.
Moving forward, I think that I have now properly grasped the utility of these reflections. So to begin, and with as little virtue signalling as possible, I would like to introduce myself as Theodore Abbott, a second year Liberal Studies student at Capilano University. While acknowledging my proclivity for sounding cliché, I think that my journey of becoming a qualitative researcher has run the span of my entire life. From an epistemological stance, as an individual who struggled from an early age with developing basic skills such as reading and writing, the majority of the knowledge that I have created throughout my life has come as a result of participation and conversation. So, if the epistemology of the interpretive paradigm is subjectivism and subjectivism is constituted by participation and experience, then every individual has at some point in their life has been conducting a primitive form of research; whilst utilizing the epistemological assumptions outlined by the interpretive paradigm. Experiencing, participating, and interacting with our surroundings as if their very nature is open to interpretation is an integral part of our childhood. Conversely, when considering the positivist epistemology of objectivism that exists within the scientific paradigm, it is clear that this ideology acts a popular motif throughout most individuals lives as well. However, this is due to the fact that when we are not questioning the structure of our reality, we as children, are having things discovered for us in the form of objective descriptions. The interpretive paradigm appeals to my youthful inclination to question the nature of my surroundings. The world of dining room savannas and lacrosse stick rifles in which once I lived no longer exists, but the ontologies and epistemologies of such a paradigm provide an opportunity to research the world using ideologies similar to ones I have applied to my experiences in the past.
For the sake of self-preservation, it is necessary that I believe there exists some objective truths in our world, that said, it is of equal importance that I remain cognisant about the ephemeral nature that applies to some of those truths. The paradigms discussed in the Scotland article provide for myself and others a way to close the gap between knowledge and truth (2012, Scotland). These paradigms present a set of philosophies for which we may consider when seeking to close these gaps by way of research. While I do feel a unique connection with interpretive philosophy, I do not subscribe to any single one of these paradigms, I simply wish to apply each paradigm in my research when appropriate.
Works Cited
Scotland, J. (2012) Exploring the Philosophical Underpinnings of Research: Relating Ontology and Epistemology to the Methodology and Methods of the Scientific, Interpretive, and Critical Paradigms, 5(9), 9-15.