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How Natural Is “Natural” in Field Research?

In: Transformative Learning

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  • Astrid Marie Holand

    (Nord University)

Abstract

Not even researchers can escape their own situatedness. What does that imply for what we see and don’t see—or what we see as natural? Most of the time we are interpreting each other’s interpretations, and we do so from our own specific time and place in the world. This is one of the central paradoxes in qualitative research, calling for an awareness that what is perceived as natural always depends on one’s contextual standpoint, and understanding of the other’s. This does not open the gates to full relativism. On the contrary, data must in many senses be regarded as results of specific paradigms, patterns, or systems emerging from time-and-place-specific problem-solving. Every paradigm has something that is taken-for-granted, and which easily escapes attention. New situations can create settings that challenge what we perceive as natural, true, and possible. But we can also train ourselves in putting on a “newcomer’s gaze”. A useful tool is what is here called the gift of taking nothing for granted or certain in qualitative research. Because it is precisely the things taken for granted that we might wish to pinpoint in our research efforts.

Suggested Citation

  • Astrid Marie Holand, 2023. "How Natural Is “Natural” in Field Research?," Springer Books, in: Frode Soelberg & Larry D. Browning & Jan-Oddvar Sørnes & Frank Lindberg (ed.), Transformative Learning, chapter 10, pages 145-160, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-031-20439-5_10
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-20439-5_10
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