Die deelnemingsparadigma as ’n addisionele paradigma in multi-praktisyns en praktykgeleide navorsingsprojekte

Abstract

This article explores the possibility that the participatory paradigm might be an appropriate research paradigm for creative practitioners to produce practice-led research. In the context of multi-practitioner arts-related practice-led research projects conducted in the Faculty of Arts at the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, it was determined that the critical theory paradigm is the most commonly used paradigm. Despite the fact that these projects were conceptualised as practice-led research projects very little practice-led research has been conducted. We contend that this is because creative practitioners have adopted the critical theory paradigm without understanding how the epistemological, ontological and methodological underpinning, negates the subjective exploratory tacit knowledge dimension, that is central to practice-led research. Practice-led research is regarded as a subjective exploratory journey by an individual or group of creative practitioners, which results in a creative production (artefact). This research is intuitive, and the epistemological gain lies in the contextualisation of the creative process and final artefact through reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action. This involves a critical contextualisation of the systematically documented process and its outcomes. In this context both the tacit and explicit dimensions of knowledge are important to form a holistic knowledge context. The participatory paradigm is a worldview based on a subjective-objective ontology which allows for a critical subjective epistemology that utilises experiential, presentational, practical (tacit) and propositional (explicit) ways of knowing. In this paradigm knowledge (as is the case with practice-led research) is viewed in holistic terms and it is thus contended that this is a conducive paradigm for practice-led research.

Hierdie artikel ondersoek die moontlikheid dat die deelnemingsparadigma ‘n geskikte navorsingsparadigma vir kreatiewe deelnemers kan wees om praktykgeleide navorsing te produseer. In die konteks van multi-praktisyns en kunsverwante praktykgeleide navorsingsprojekte wat in die Fakulteit Lettere en Wysbegeerte aan die NWU op die Potchefstroomkampus uitgevoer is, is vasgestel dat die paradigma wat die meeste gebruik word, is die krities-teoretiese paradigma. Ten spyte van die feit dat hierdie projekte gekonseptualiseer is as praktykgeleide navorsingsprojekte het min praktykgeleide navorsing hieruit gevloei. Ons aanvaar dat dit gebeur het omdat kreatiewe praktisyns die krities-teoretiese paradigma aangeneem het omdat hulle moontlik nie verstaan nie hoe hierdie paradigma se epistemologiese, ontologiese en metodologiese onderbou die subjektiewe en eksperimentele versweë kennisdimensie misken wat sentraal is in praktykgeleide navorsing. Praktykgeleide navorsing word beskou as ‘n subjektiewe eksperimentele reis deur ‘n individu of ‘n groep kreatiewe praktisyns wat lei tot ‘n kreatiewe produk (artefak). Hierdie tipe navorsing is intuïtief, en die epistemologiese wins lê in die kontekstualisering van die kreatiewe proses en die finale artefak deur reflektering-tydens-aksie en reflektering-op-aksie. Dit hou ‘n kritiese kontekstualisering in van die sistematiese gedokumenteerde proses en sy uitkomste. In hierdie konteks is sowel die versweë as eksplisiete kennisdimensies belangrik om ‘n holistiese kenniskonteks te skep. Die deelnemingsparadigma is ‘n wêreldbeskouing gebaseer op ‘n subjektief-objektiewe ontologie wat ruimte laat vir ‘n kritiese subjektiewe epistemologie wat sowel eksperimentele, praktiese (versweë) en proposisionele (eksplisiete) kenniswyses insluit. In hierdie paradigma word kennis (soos in die geval van praktykgeleide navorsing) in holistiese terme beskou en het ons daarom tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat dit ‘n gepaste paradigma is vir praktykgeleide navorsing.