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Meeting a Different Kind of Knowledge: An Alternative Story
I have known Knowledge all my life. I was introduced to Knowledge through my parents, teachers, lecturers, the media and many more agents of knowledge. Knowledge was, and still is, my friend. My friendship with Knowledge gave me a sense of security and a 6 Burr (1998) defines post-structuralism as “the rejection of structuralism’s search for explanatory structures underlying social phenomena. In linguistics, also the view that the meanings of signs (e.g. words) are not fixed, but shifting and contestable” (p.185). hunger to know more about psychology and life in general. Knowledge is a driving force and a motivator in my life.
However, Knowledge sometimes made me feel that I was inferior, especially in situations where I encountered other people who knew more about a specific topic than I did. Knowledge tried to convince me of pre-existing truths, that there are ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ answers. The voice of Knowledge was very critical at times. It tried to convince me that I did not know enough about post-structuralism, orthotics and prosthetics or qualitative research to be a good supervisor, psychologist, facilitator or researcher. It even affected my courage to write this thesis by wanting to let the experts’ voices become louder than my own voice.
Knowledge had very specific ideas on what constituted being the expert. It thought that I should know almost everything about a specific topic to be able to be an expert. It tried to convince me that only certain information is valid and true. Knowledge tried to remind me of my responsibility as supervisor to be ‘superior’, to give solutions to problems. In the higher education teaching and learning environment, it tried to convince me that it is my responsibility, as facilitator, to transmit knowledge to less knowledgeable others (students). The authority for knowing, teaching and learning rested solely on my shoulders as educator.
The effect of Knowledge’s ideas on my life was very unhelpful. I often felt incompetent, agitated, and as though I could never measure up to those who had more knowledge than I did. In the process of writing this thesis, it sabotaged my own thoughts, disqualifying them as less important or knowledgeable in comparison with what I read in books or journals. I ascribed a superior status to tertiary educational institutions as acknowledged centres of knowledge producers and also to the people who represent these institutions, such as my supervisors. An awareness and respect of the power hierarchy in knowledge institutions taught me never to challenge processes of knowledge production and teaching and learning.
1 THE INVITATION
The public context of this study
Aims of the study
Methodology
The way ahead
Conclusion
2 ACCEPTING THE INVITATION
Circle of friends
Meeting a different kind of Knowledge: An alternative story
Reflections
To follow
3 FINDING OUR WAY
Entering the forest: Qualitative research
The longing
Seeing the trees from the forest
Picking up leaves
Organising leaves: Narrative inquiry
A multitude of positions
A story map to guide the way
Sustenance
Ethical considerations
Reflections
To follow
4 THE MEETING POINT: PUBLIC NARRATIVES
Cast of characters
University of Pretoria etd – Grobler I, (2007)
Act I Orthotics and Prosthetics, Scene One
Act I, Scene Two
Act I, Scene Three
Act II: Psychology, Scene One
Act II, Scene Two
Act II, Scene Three
Act III: Higher Education, Scene One
Act III, Scene Two
Act III, Scene Three
Act IV: The Culmination and Meeting Point, Scene One
Act IV, Scene Two (Monologue)
Act IV, Scene Three
Synthesis
Narrative themes
Reflections
To follow
5 PRIVATE STORIES AT THE MEETING POINT
The setting
Peter: Story map
Narrative themes
Narrative core
James: Story map
Narrative themes
Narrative core
The Facilitator: Story map
Narrative themes
Narrative core
Synthesis
Reflection
6 LOOKING BACK AND SAYING GOODBYE
REFERENCES
APPENDICES
Appendix A: Respondent Information Leaflet
Appendix B: Story Maps
Appendix C: Certificate of Special Knowledge
Appendix D: Extract from the Atlas.ti Analysis (Facilitator’s journal)
