Productive Aporias and Inten(t/s)ionalities of Paradigming: Spacetimematterings in an Introductory Qualitative Research Course

Abstract

We seek to illustrate the inten(t/s)ional ways we tried to create spaces for thinking about paradigms as polyphonic and proliferating. We also share the joyful tensions of this work (hence, inten(t/s)ionalities) and specific pedagogical practices that we believe created a space for students to lean into and explore paradigms not only as a thing but also as a doing—paradigming. Our focus is to discuss (a) how some of Barad’s posthumanist theoretical concepts (e.g., ethico-onto-epistemology and intra-action) became pedagogical inspiration, and (b) through a diffractive reading of data with Barad’s concept of spacetimemattering, we were able to explore what was produced in the course. As we read posthumanist theory, the concepts not only shaped our methodology (i.e., diffractive analysis) but also became pedagogy. A posthumanist paradigm shaped our pedagogical practices as we believe that students are (becoming) qualitative inquirers through a knowing/being/doing in a material world of humans and nonhumans intra-acting.

Keywords

qualitative research and education post qualitative inquiry qualitative research arts-based inquiry methods of inquiry neoliberalism politics and culture new feminisms feminist methodologies methodologies pedagogy

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