Discussion Board Assignment: Three Journals

This Is A Discussion Board Assignment There Are Three Journal Article

This is a discussion board assignment: There are three journal articles to read before you write the discussion. This discussion should be no more than 1 page double spaced in Times New Roman font 12. The journal articles are attached. "The usefulness of narrative inquiry in public administration research" is considered the week 5 supplemental reading as the question belowed. Other 2 articles are for week 3.

For this discussion forum, respond to each of the following items: 1. From the 2 journal articles you were assigned to read for Week 3, identify the relevance of pragmatism for social research and how pragmatism addresses the dualism between "idealism" and "realism". In your response, be sure to 1) identify and explain pertinent concepts, and 2) explain how you see pragmatism being relevant to knowledge produced by the practitioner-scholar. 2. As developed in the article required for this week’s (Week 5) supplemental reading, “ The Usefulness of Narrative Inquiry in Public Administration Research”, what is the meaning and purpose of "constructive interpretivism"?

Identify how this approach to research inquiry is well suited to honoring and validating practitioner knowledge. 3. From among the readings on pragmatism (Week 3) and narrative inquiry (Week 5), identify 3 concepts you found particularly useful and/or illuminating for helping you to better understand the purposes and intentions of qualitative inquiry.

Paper For Above instruction

Pragmatism serves as a vital philosophical foundation in social research, particularly bridging the gap between "idealism" and "realism." Idealism emphasizes the pursuit of ideas and principles as the basis for understanding social phenomena, while realism concentrates on tangible, observable realities. Pragmatism, as a philosophical approach, navigates these dualisms by focusing on practical consequences and solutions, advocating that the meaning of concepts and beliefs lies in their usefulness in addressing real-world issues (James, 1907/1981). This perspective aligns with the needs of social researchers, especially practitioner-scholars, who aim to generate knowledge that is both theoretically sound and practically applicable. Pragmatism emphasizes flexible methodologies, such as mixed methods, enabling practitioners to adapt their approaches to complex social problems and produce actionable insights (Biesta, 2010).

Within the context of narrative inquiry, particularly as elaborated in "The Usefulness of Narrative Inquiry in Public Administration Research," the concept of "constructive interpretivism" plays a pivotal role. Constructive interpretivism views social reality as constructed through individuals' narratives and interpretations. The purpose of this approach is to understand how practitioners make sense of their experiences and to validate their knowledge through storytelling and interpretation (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000). It recognizes that practitioner knowledge is contextually situated and morally tinted, thus offering a respectful and authentic way to capture experiential insights that might be overlooked by purely positivist methods. This approach honors practitioners by valuing their subjective experiences as legitimate sources of knowledge, fostering a dialogic process that enriches understanding and decision-making (Carr & Kemmis, 1986).

From the readings on pragmatism and narrative inquiry, several concepts stand out as particularly illuminating for understanding qualitative inquiry's purposes and intentions. First is the idea of "practicality," emphasizing that research should produce useful knowledge directly applicable to social practice (Dewey, 1938). Second, the principle of "multiple perspectives," which underscores the importance of engaging diverse viewpoints to capture the richness of social phenomena (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). Third is "storytelling" itself, which serves as a powerful means for practitioners to communicate complex experiences and for researchers to reveal the nuanced layers of social reality (Riessman, 2008). Together, these concepts deepen our appreciation for qualitative inquiry as a flexible, respectful, and context-sensitive approach that seeks not just to explain but to meaningfully engage with the lived experiences of practitioners.

References

• Biesta, G. (2010). Pragmatism and the philosophy of education. Political Studies, 58(4), 656–679.
• Carr, W., & Kemmis, S. (1986). Becoming critical: Education, knowledge, and action research. Routledge.
• Clandinin, D. J., & Connelly, F. M. (2000). Narrative inquiry: Experience and story in qualitative research. Jossey-Bass.
• Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. Kappa Delta Pi.
• James, W. (1981). Pragmatism: A new name for some old ways of thinking. In W. James, Pragmatism (pp. 1–62). Longmans, Green.
• Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage Publications.
• Riessman, C. K. (2008). Narrative methods for the human sciences. Sage Publications.